Half A Halo

Half A Halo was created in Guelph, Ontario Canada in April of 2003. The band consists of Dave singing and playing guitar, John the screamer playing bass, Joe on guitars and Collin on drums. Spawned from failed pasts, Half A Halo came together out of desperation to create the music they weren’t hearing. Fresh from producing indie artists and creating major label remixes on spec for artists such as Sugar Ray, Craig David and Justin Timberlake and a remix for former Nine Inch Nails drummer Chris Vrenna featured on DVD, indie producer/remixer Dave Thompson started the band as a live outlet. Apart from remixing, Dave’s previous work includes playing with members of Savage Garden and in the studio with producers of Mathew Good Band.

Dave has toured in North America, Australia and Asia for the past 10+ years in a multitude of cover and tribute shows, before settling in Guelph to manage Ignition Sound Studios for David Hastings Jr. After completing the last few projects for Promo Only Canada (Promo Only service remixes to major labels), Dave enlisted the services of a few musicians he had worked with previously to bring Half A Halo to life. These musicians include Joe on guitars, Collin on drums and John on bass and vocals. Dave plays guitar, sings and is the primary songwriter in the band.

Half A Halo recorded 3 tracks with producers Ruben Huizenga (Edwin, Glueleg, Micro Maureen) and Byron Wong (David Usher, My Briliant Beast, Crystal Method) in September 2003. “Working with Ruben and Byron has been a huge honour, as I remember watching Byron on Much as a VJ and really respected his knowledge and integrity. Ruben’s work on Edwin’s ‘Another Spin Around The Sun’ is excellent, as Ruben wrote and played on most of that record and then toured with Edwin. These guys know their stuff”.

Another honour came in March of 2004 when 3 major label producers became interested in working with Half A Halo. Paul Northfield (Rush, Hole, Marylin Manson, Ozzy Osbourne), Dan Brodbeck (The Salads, Holly McNarland, Dolores Oriordan) and Graham Brewer (Limp Bizkit, Tea Party, Nelly Furtado, Sam Roberts) all showed more than just a passing interest in working on an album with Half A Halo. After much deliberation and research, Half A Halo decided Graham Brewer was the best choice musically and personally to run things from the opposite side of the glass. Half A Halo are currently in pre production on a full length album with Graham. Half A Halo have a 6 track ep called ‘The Thrashing Floor’ produced, engineered, mixed and mastered entirely by Dave scheduled for release May 2004. Only a year since their inception in Guelph Ontario, Half A Halo have played shows featuring Foo Fighters, Matt Good, Pete Yorn, Cheap Trick and Slaves On Dope to name a few playing venues such as Sarnia Bayfest and Zaphods in Ottawa. Half A Halo are booked exclusively by The Agency Group (Nickelback, White Stripes, Evanescence and many more).

Fusing heavy riffs, light melody and a sense of song with 2 distinctly different vocalists, Half A Halo’s sound is an organic meld of polyrhythmic guitar parts over percussive grooves while melodic vocals dance with the devil. Half A Halo’s music is self described as a cross between Queens Of The Stone Age, Pantera and Radiohead, fusing groove, riffs and lots of melody in an accessible rock format that would be at home on commercial radio.