THE GREATEST BAND BIO EVER WRITTEN, EVER By Nick Roth   “Paramore and Evanescence meets Queen.”   “If Joan Jett and Andrew Lloyd Webber had a lovechild, it would be the Haun Solo Project.”   “When I went through my breakup, Haun Solo was the only thing I listened to.”   “It’s like the presence of Pat Benatar mixed with the dark edgy vocals of Fiona Apple, the intensity of Tool, the control and range of Aretha Franklin, and the theatrics of Freddy Mercury.”   “Lindsey Haun’s music literally saved my life.”   “It’s like if No Doubt sang the blues.”   Fans have had to get pretty creative trying to describe the sound of The Haun Solo Project, a Los Angeles five-piece fronted by singer/songwriter Lindsey Haun.  According to Billboard Magazine, "Hers is a voice that could command any genre. It takes a half-listen to fall in love with her inherent passion and pure, raw talent."  The Haun Solo project is comprised of a unique ensemble of highly trained native Californian musicians from all over the state, and it boasts the distinctive feature of boasting multiple alumnae from both UC Berkeley and Berklee College of Music.   The band has enjoyed a monthly residency at The Cat Club since 2008 and has also focused on playing other happening Southern California venues such as The Mint and The Hotel Café.  In addition to the upcoming debut album, Neon Gods, the band has expanded into composing tracks for television and feature films.  Haun Solo songs will offer an acoustic thematic to Lifetime’s upcoming adaptation of the best-selling book, Reviving Ophelia, and “The Gray” can be heard in the award-winning independent feature film, The Four-Faced Liar, as it tours top film festivals around the world: Outfest, Slamdance, and Tokyo International Gay and Lesbian, to name just a few.  Their segues into film and television don’t end there; in her other life, as an actress, Lindsey Haun has joined the cast of Trueblood, HBO’s most successful show ever, as Hadley Stackhouse, the cousin of Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), and Haun Solo guitarist Sara Carter has performed on the show as well with her other band, Rocket.    Lindsey formed The Haun Solo Project in November 2007 after two painful splits: one with her record label and the other with her then boyfriend.  Retreating to a secluded cabin deep in the Rocky Mountains with nothing but her dog Onyx and an acoustic guitar, she spent a week writing what would later become the core of a new album, one that wasn’t crafted for an industry or contrived with music career ambitions in mind, but that sprung from the pure creative impulse of mending one’s soul through the healing power of music.    Immediately upon emerging from the mountains with a handful of new songs, Lindsey was serendipitously asked to play a charity concert for breast cancer awareness.  Reluctant at first to share such personal songs born of fresh raw wounds, she quickly got used to the idea, and said to herself, “Whether I liked it or not I knew I had something to give.  But I didn’t want to do it alone.  In order for me to survive I needed to create a new family of musicians who supported each other.”  The rest of the album would develop out of that family.   The first member would be Lindsey’s long-time partner in crime, Nikki Grant.  Nikki had played drums for Lindsey’s hard-rock group 7th Fall from 2004-2006, and had never stopped believing in Lindsey or her music.  The two teamed up again to fill the ranks of the rest of the band.  They enlisted Derek “D-Bo” Bogard on upright bass and Stephan McCarty on guitar, though the latter was soon replaced by Nick Roth, an acclaimed guitarist with massive shredding skills who could also supply precise and beautiful harmonies.  Nick also brought with him serious rockstar pedigree, having previously played backup for Bruce Springsteen and fronted a side-project of Tom Morello’s.  (Ok, the thing with Bruce was only one show but Joan Baez was also there!, and the thing with Tom was in a movie so technically that was fiction.)   Nick also brought into the fold a stellar percussionist and a former classmate of his from UC Berkeley, Scarlet Newman-Thomas.  Originally, Scar would fill in for Nikki while Nikki was on Warped Tour with Street Drum Corps, but upon her return the band loved both Nikki and Scar so much that they opted to have both stay on as dual-drumming percussionists.  But that’s not all Nikki brought back with her from Warped Tour.  Sadly, Nick had completed his promised one-year stint with The Haun Solo Project and was moving on to pursue his PhD at the world-renowned Department of English at Cornell University.  His were mighty shoes to fill, but Nikki delivered the goods.  She recruited Sara Carter, who was also on Warped Tour. The classically-trained expert guitarist boasted fingering techniques that rivaled even Nick’s, and her dedication to both her craft and to Haun Solo has been deeply felt.   The final move in the band’s line-up occurred when D-Bo was temporarily replaced by Mike Payne, a natural choice, having played bass in Vital and 7th Fall with Lindsey for many years, and his temporary tenure with the band soon became permanent.  With the final line-up solidly in place, the band entered the recording studio under the expert guidance of veteran composer, studio musician and recording engineer Jimmy Haun (famous for his work with Yes and Air Supply, as well as being Lindsey’s dad).  The album, Neon Gods, represents the culmination of three years of writing, touring, and recording, anchored in Lindsey’s powerful vocals and brilliant songwriting, but brought together into an explosive and evocative whole by the growing family of artists surrounding her. SARA CARTER 
 Sara hails from the Bay Area of California. She picked up guitar in 1997 after becoming enamored by the styling and talent of Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. From then on, she played for hours every day and even took guitar classes during all four years of High School. She then went on to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston before eventually moving to Los Angeles and joining two bands. Sara enjoys chocolate milk, Family Guy, classic rock, and cuddling with her puppy. She also has a wonderfully supportive family. Artists you'd find in her playlist include: Rilo Kiley, Dream Theater, Gloria Estefan, Space Ghost's Musical BBQ, and Tegan and Sara. SCARLET A. NEWMAN-THOMAS While in the womb, she kicked to the steady beat of a Disneyland parade marching band. Months later, the sound of 300 tubas playing Christmas carols would usher her into the world the night of her birth. Scarlet’s future career as a drummer/musician was not coincidence—it was inevitable.

Scarlet A. Newman-Thomas was born and raised in Hollywood, California.  She began drumming at eight and eventually taught herself guitar, bass, and piano as well.  At twelve, Scarlet was invited to be the drummer in the high school Jazz Band.  Later, she was hired to perform a heavy metal piece written by Slayer's Dave Lombardo in a nation-wide Georgia Pacific television commercial.  Although she'd had previous commercial acting experience, this would be the first time Scarlet would play the drums live on camera.  

At the University of California Berkeley, Scarlet double-majored in music, with a focus in composition, and third world development studies. In addition to Berkeley’s Jazz Improv Ensemble and the University Symphony Orchestra, Scarlet played with several local bands including a few rock/metal groups fronted by former Haun Solo guitarist/guest performer Nick Roth.  She also performed with an African drumming group and traveled to Ghana to get a taste of West African music and culture. Since graduating from Berkeley, Scarlet has melded these classical and ethno-musicological disciplines with rock, pop, electronic, funk, hip-hop, metal, Latin, and back to the beginning with jazz, forging a drumming & composing style tailored perfectly for the multi-faceted sound of The Haun Solo Project.   
When Scarlet is not playing with, composing with, or simply enjoying the company of her beloved band, she is performing on stage, on camera, and/or in the studio with groups such as The Mutaytor and Street Drum Corps presents BANG!  Scarlet also has an especial passion and talent for filmmaking/editing as well as putting music to picture (i.e. film, television, commercials, etc.). MIKE PAYNE Mike was born in Sacramento, California. Music began to make an impact on him at the tender age of twelve, when the divine spirit of creativity chose him; he knew then that to become a musician was the only path to true expression. Originally, he wanted to be a drummer, and if it weren't for the daunting financial costs involved, he might be one today. He picked up the bass instead, and drank in deep the rhythms of classic rock, metal, jazz, funk, hip hop, and reggae. Over the years Mike has grown massively as a musician. Forsaking his earlier artistic credo of trying to prove himself with the thumpingest bass lines and attempting to stand out from the crowd with the slappiest solos, Mike now lives by the theory that the bassist in any band is the link between the rhythm and melody; his method, therefore, is to tap into the energy of the band and achieve total oneness with the music. In Mike's free time he enjoys playing basketball on an unhealthfully competitive level. He loves the outdoors, whether it be hiking or skydiving. He also has a BA in psychology and wickedly cool free styling abilities. Mike likes eating carrots, rapping in the shower, watching sports, making fun of his dad, the satisfaction of a good nap, compulsively getting addicted to new hobbies, and talking about the meaning of life knowing that it doesn't really have one. On a side note, Mike just wants the public to know that many years ago on a couch in Phil Holland's house, nothing happened. NICOLE GRANT "Whether it's big band jazz or experimental, this gal is slave to the groove—and she likes it like that." -DRUM! Magazine

Nicole Grant, or Nikki G as she is fondly called by her band-mates, grew up in Lake Tahoe, California. Born to two music teachers, she started learning piano and music fundamentals at the age of four, and she picked up percussion/drums at six. Around this time she also began conducting alongside her father, and by middle school she was conducting student honor bands on her own. Nikki G’s unique talents as a multi-instrumentalist and superlatively energetic performer, coupled with her demonstrated skills in composition and arrangement, have led her to pursue a wide and diverse array of musical activities and garner an impressive number of notable achievements. She attended Berklee College of Music and received her degree from the Musicians Institute in Drumset-Performance. She is currently working on a degree in Music Psychology at Cal State University Northridge. Nikki has performed in more than thirty professional musical theater productions (with multiple theater companies, including, notably, Brian Farnon’s), playing everything from Oklahoma to Grease. Meanwhile, she has recorded, performed, and toured the world with everything from rock bands to symphony orchestras. She has been a guest artist with Katy Perry and 30 Seconds to Mars, and performed on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. In 2007 she stared playing with Street Drum Corps (SDC), with whom she went on Warped Tour. The relationship quickly evolved into Nikki heading up SDC’s strictly “street-drumming” side project, BANG. Nikki’s pounding beats can be heard on their upcoming release, “Big Noise,” on Interscope Records. In early 2004 Nikki was recruited by Lindsey Haun to play drums in her hard-rock band, 7th Fall. The musical chemistry was instantly palpable between her and fellow band-mates Mike Payne and Tyler Bryan. The group played the usual venues on the Sunset Strip and toured Southern California together. After a one-year hiatus in which Lindsey toured nationally with another band, it was at Nikki’s insistent prodding and poking that they formed a new group together: The Haun Solo Project.

Sara

Nikki

Mike

Scar

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