Halo Circus
| Halo Circus | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Rock, Alternative |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | Halo Circus Media |
| Members | Allison Iraheta, Brian Stead, Matthew Hager, Veronica Bellino |
| Past members | Valerie Franco, David Immerman |
Halo Circus is a bilingual alternative rock band. Based in Los Angeles, California, Halo Circus is composed of vocalist Allison Iraheta, guitarist Brian Stead, bassist Matthew Hager and drummer Veronica Bellino.[1]
History
Halo Circus was formed in 2012. Iraheta, a finalist on American Idol, had released her debut album, Just Like You, on Jive in 2009. While touring in support of the album, she met Hager, a songwriter, musician, and producer. After Iraheta recorded vocals on a song Hager had been working on, they began to write together, and later decided to form a band. They recruited drummer Valerie Franco and guitarist David Immerman, both of whom had performed previously with Iraheta, and founded Halo Circus. Their first show took place in January 2013 at the Troubador in Los Angeles.[2] A month later, they appeared on Yahoo Music, performing for the first time with accordianist Gee Rabe. Their first EP was released on Manimal Vinyl Records in October 2013. It included the single "Gone,"recorded in both English and Spanish. Written before Halo Circus was formed, it was based on Iraheta's experience with Jive, who dropped her as a recording artist in 2011. “It’s a very sad song," she said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "But out of that came more sessions and more songs and the realization that I had to admit how hurt I was.” [3][2]
As Hager and Iraheta continued to collaborate as songwriters, the band played a series of high profile shows. With Valerie Bellino on drums -- Franco left the band in mid-2013 -- they performed at the Whiskey A Go Go's 50th Anniversary celebration, and at two Grammy events: the Los Angeles Grammy Showcase and the "Women Who Rock" Grammy Cruise, where they appeared with Emmylou Harris and Heart, among others. In July 2014, they released "Do You Believe in Shame" on the Duran Duran tribute album, Making Patterns Rhyme. A compilation, it also included contributions from Moby and Warpaint. In September, Halo Circus began a 4-week residency at the Hotel Café in Hollywood.[2]
In February 2015, with Brian Stead replacing David Immerman, the band decided to shelve an album they had intended to release as their debut. The album was re-recorded over a six week period at Little White Lotus Studios in Compton, CA. It was produced by Hager and engineered by Craig Bauer. The first single from the album, "Desire (Lo Que Vale La Pena)" was released in February 2016 through BitTorrent. Iraheta said the song was about freedom: "Not the freedom we confuse for convenience, but the real freedom that is granted to every soul that enters a body on this planet. When one is oppressed, we are all oppressed. We are all born with the desire to love and the desire to defend it." The "Desire" video, directed by Nick Egan, was shot in South Central L.A., with Irraheta wearing wearing a pageant-style sash marked "Immigrant."[4] [5][6]
Halo Circus teamed with the crowdsourcing platform RoadNation in February 2016 to fund their first national tour. Their debut album, Bunny, will be released in May 2016.[7][8]
References
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