Petra Haden
Encyclopedia
Petra Haden is an American violin
ist and singer. She is or has been a member of several bands, including That Dog, Tito & Tarantula
, and The Decemberists
; has contributed to recordings by The Twilight Singers
, Beck
, Mike Watt
, Luscious Jackson
, Foo Fighters
, Green Day
, Queens of the Stone Age
, Weezer
, The Rentals
, Victoria Williams
, Yuka Honda
, The Gutter Twins
, and Cornelius
. She is the daughter of the jazz bassist Charlie Haden
; the triplet sister of bassist Rachel Haden
(her bandmate in That Dog) and cellist Tanya Haden
(married to singer and actor Jack Black
) with whom she has performed as The Haden Triplets; and the sister of bassist-singer Josh Haden
, leader of the group Spain
.
; the resulting injuries forced her out of performance for several months. In 2005 she released the home-recorded album Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
(Bar/None), a complete a cappella
rendition of The Who Sell Out
. The project was suggested to Haden by longtime friend Mike Watt
, who also gave her the eight-channel multi-track cassette recorder she used to make it. Funded in part by a Durfee grant and wanting to perform the work live, Haden created a new arrangement of The Who Sell Out
for a ten woman a cappella
choir called Petra Haden & The Sellouts. The premier live performance of the full work occurred in July 2005 at the Ford Amphitheatre as a part of the "sound." concert series.
She has also released a self-titled collaboration with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell
.
She contributed to the recording of ØØ Void
by drone metal
band Sunn O)))
and played on the debut and follow up album of Sunn O))) guitarist Greg Anderson's other doom metal band Goatsnake. The Haden Triplets sang the part of the "fates" in Anais Mitchell's 2010 release "Hadestown" on Righteous Babe Records.
She is also at work on a collection of songs with Yuka Honda
, apparently with contributing performances by Sean Lennon
.
In 2007, Haden recorded an a cappella
cover of Journey's
"Don't Stop Believin'
" for the compilation album Guilt by Association Vol. 1. This arrangement of the song is very similar to that used in the Glee
version of the song in 2009.
She performed on the soundtrack to the film An American Crime
, starring Catherine Keener
and Ellen Page
, which premiered on Showtime in May 2008.
In 2009, Toyota commissioned Haden to perform three songs for television commercials for the third-generation Toyota Prius
, including an a capella version of the Bellamy Brothers 1970s song "Let Your Love Flow
".
Haden played violin on "Sentimental Tune" by Tegan and Sara
, off of their album Sainthood (released October 27, 2009).
The SALAMANDER album
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and singer. She is or has been a member of several bands, including That Dog, Tito & Tarantula
Tito & Tarantula
Tito & Tarantula are a chicano rock band formed in Hollywood California in 1992. The band is best known for its songs, "After Dark", "Back to the House That Love Built", "Strange Face of Love", and "Angry Cockroaches", as well as for its role in Robert Rodriguez's film From Dusk Till Dawn as the...
, and The Decemberists
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
; has contributed to recordings by The Twilight Singers
The Twilight Singers
The Twilight Singers is an American indie rock band. The group was initially formed as a side project of The Afghan Whigs leader Greg Dulli in 1997...
, Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, Mike Watt
Mike Watt
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
, Luscious Jackson
Luscious Jackson
Luscious Jackson are an alternative rock group formed in 1991. The band's name was inspired by now-retired American basketball player Lucious Jackson....
, Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
, Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
, The Rentals
The Rentals
The Rentals are an American rock band fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp, best known as the former bass player for rock group Weezer. The band is best known for their mid-1990s hit single, "Friends of P.". The group has released two albums, Return of the Rentals and Seven More Minutes on Maverick...
, Victoria Williams
Victoria Williams
Victoria Williams is an American singer-songwriter and musician, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, although she has resided in Southern California throughout her musical career. She is noted for her descriptive songwriting talent, which she has used to immerse the listener of her songs into a...
, Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda is a Japanese musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto...
, The Gutter Twins
The Gutter Twins
The Gutter Twins is a musical collaboration between rock musicians Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan. Dulli and Lanegan have regularly contributed to each other's projects since 2000, most notably in Dulli's Twilight Singers; of the duo's origins, Dulli said "I think Mark told a journalist we were doing...
, and Cornelius
Cornelius (musician)
Cornelius is a Japanese recording artist and producer.-Career:Oyamada's first claim to fame was as a member of the pop duo Flipper's Guitar, one of the key groups of the Tokyo Shibuya-kei scene...
. She is the daughter of the jazz bassist Charlie Haden
Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden is an American jazz musician. He is a double bassist, probably best known for his long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman...
; the triplet sister of bassist Rachel Haden
Rachel Haden
Rachel Haden is the current bass guitarist for Todd Rundgren on his "Arena Rock" tour, and one of the triplet daughters of jazz bassist Charlie Haden....
(her bandmate in That Dog) and cellist Tanya Haden
Tanya Haden
-Biography:Born in New York City, she was a member of several bands, including Let's Go Sailing, and is the creator of the Imaginary Bear puppet show. She has contributed to recordings of a number of Los Angeles musicians, including vocals and cello on Par Avion's EP, Pop Music United...
(married to singer and actor Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
) with whom she has performed as The Haden Triplets; and the sister of bassist-singer Josh Haden
Josh Haden
Josh Haden is an American jazz musician. He is the founder, bassist and singer of the group Spain. Josh Haden is the the son of Charlie Haden....
, leader of the group Spain
Spain (band)
Spain are an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1993, and led by Josh Haden. Originally comprising Haden, his sister Petra Haden and Evan Hartzell, their debut album The Blue Moods of Spain was released in September 1995...
.
Biography
In 1999 she released her first album, Imaginaryland, consisting mostly of original a-capella music. In 2000, Petra was struck by a car while crossing a street in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
; the resulting injuries forced her out of performance for several months. In 2005 she released the home-recorded album Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out is an album by Petra Haden, an entirely a cappella interpretation of The Who's classic album The Who Sell Out. Haden supplies all of the vocals. Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out was released in 2005 on Bar None Records...
(Bar/None), a complete a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
rendition of The Who Sell Out
The Who Sell Out
-Track listing:All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted. The between song jingles apparently have no official titles and are not listed anywhere on the original album packaging, though they are listed in the inner booklet of the 1995 remaster.Side one...
. The project was suggested to Haden by longtime friend Mike Watt
Mike Watt
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
, who also gave her the eight-channel multi-track cassette recorder she used to make it. Funded in part by a Durfee grant and wanting to perform the work live, Haden created a new arrangement of The Who Sell Out
The Who Sell Out
-Track listing:All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted. The between song jingles apparently have no official titles and are not listed anywhere on the original album packaging, though they are listed in the inner booklet of the 1995 remaster.Side one...
for a ten woman a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
choir called Petra Haden & The Sellouts. The premier live performance of the full work occurred in July 2005 at the Ford Amphitheatre as a part of the "sound." concert series.
She has also released a self-titled collaboration with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell
William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
.
She contributed to the recording of ØØ Void
ØØ Void
-Guest musicians:* Petra Haden - violin, vocals* Scott Reeder - bass guitar* Peter Stahl - vocals...
by drone metal
Drone metal
Drone metal is a style of heavy metal that melds the slow tempos and heaviness of doom metal with the long-duration tones of drone music...
band Sunn O)))
Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone, ambient, noise, and black metal. Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson .-History:Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn...
and played on the debut and follow up album of Sunn O))) guitarist Greg Anderson's other doom metal band Goatsnake. The Haden Triplets sang the part of the "fates" in Anais Mitchell's 2010 release "Hadestown" on Righteous Babe Records.
She is also at work on a collection of songs with Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda is a Japanese musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto...
, apparently with contributing performances by Sean Lennon
Sean Lennon
is an American singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist and actor. He is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His godfather is Sir Elton John.-Early life and education:...
.
In 2007, Haden recorded an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
cover of Journey's
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
"Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
" for the compilation album Guilt by Association Vol. 1. This arrangement of the song is very similar to that used in the Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
version of the song in 2009.
She performed on the soundtrack to the film An American Crime
An American Crime
An American Crime is a 2007 American crime-drama film starring Ellen Page and Catherine Keener. The film is based on the true story of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by Indianapolis housewife Gertrude Baniszewski...
, starring Catherine Keener
Catherine Keener
Catherine Ann Keener is an American actress. She has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Being John Malkovich and Capote...
and Ellen Page
Ellen Page
Ellen Philpotts-Page , known professionally as Ellen Page, is a Canadian actress. Page received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the film Juno...
, which premiered on Showtime in May 2008.
In 2009, Toyota commissioned Haden to perform three songs for television commercials for the third-generation Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
, including an a capella version of the Bellamy Brothers 1970s song "Let Your Love Flow
Let Your Love Flow
"Let Your Love Flow" is the title of a pop song written by Larry E. Williams, a former roadie for Neil Diamond, and made popular by the American country music duo The Bellamy Brothers. It was offered to Neil Diamond first, but he turned it down...
".
Haden played violin on "Sentimental Tune" by Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara are a Canadian indie band composed of identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin . Both Tegan and Sara play guitar and keyboard and write songs.-History:...
, off of their album Sainthood (released October 27, 2009).
Albums
- Imaginaryland (1999)
- Bella Neurox (credited as Miss Murgatroid & Petra Haden) (1999)
- Petra Haden & Bill Frisell (credited as Petra Haden & Bill FrisellBill FrisellWilliam Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
) (2003) - Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell OutPetra Haden Sings: The Who Sell OutPetra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out is an album by Petra Haden, an entirely a cappella interpretation of The Who's classic album The Who Sell Out. Haden supplies all of the vocals. Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out was released in 2005 on Bar None Records...
(2005) - Hearts & Daggers (credited as Miss Murgatroid & Petra Haden) (2008)
- Ten Years (credited as Petra Haden & Woody JacksonWoody JacksonWoody Jackson is a Vermont artist who is best known for his paintings of cows and pastures that appear on Ben & Jerry's ice cream cartons and marketing displays. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1970 and received a masters degree in fine arts from Yale Art School in 1980...
(2008)
The SALAMANDER album
That Dog albums
- That Dog (1994)
- Totally Crushed Out!Totally Crushed Out!Totally Crushed Out! is the second studio album from That Dog , released in 1995 on DGC Records. The recording is a loosely-based concept album about love and crushes, featuring an album cover that resembles artwork from the Sweet Valley High young adult book series. This theme is further...
(1995) - Retreat From The SunRetreat From The SunRetreat from the Sun is the third and final studio album from That Dog. It was released in 1997 on Geffen Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Anna Waronker except where noted.#"I'm Gonna See You" – 4:15#"Never Say Never" – 3:16...
(1997)
External links
- Pete Townshend on Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out from The Boston Globe.
Listening
- Petra Haden performing as a part of "Exquisite Corpse" at the SASSAS/sound. concert archive
- Petra Haden and the Sell Outs performing "I Can See for Miles" at SASSAS @ YouTube
- Get Petra's version of "Let Your Love Flow" here