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Petra Haden
Petra Haden daylight.jpg
Petra Haden with The Decemberists in 2005
Background information
Born (1971-10-11) October 11, 1971 (age 53)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • musician
Instruments
  • Violin, vocals
Years active 1992–present
Labels
  • True North
  • Bar/None
  • Sunnyside
  • Anti-
  • Tzadik
  • Win Records
  • Winter & Winter
  • Sovereign Artists
Associated acts
  • Salamander
  • That Dog
  • The Rentals
  • Tito & Tarantula
  • The Decemberists
  • Foo Fighters
  • Bill Frisell

Petra Haden, born on October 11, 1971, is a talented American musician and singer. She is known for her amazing voice and her skill with the violin.

Petra comes from a very musical family! Her father, Charlie Haden, was a famous jazz bassist. She has triplet sisters, Rachel Haden and Tanya Haden. Rachel is also a bassist and was in a band called That Dog with Petra. Tanya is a cellist and is married to actor Jack Black. Petra often performs with her sisters as The Haden Triplets. Her brother, Josh Haden, is also a musician and leads the band Spain.

Petra's Musical Journey

Petra Haden has been part of several bands over the years. These include That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, The Decemberists, and If by Yes. She has also worked with many other famous musicians.

Early Career and First Album

In 1996, Petra released her first album, Imaginaryland. This album was special because it mostly featured her singing a cappella music. This means she used only her voice to create all the sounds, without instruments.

In 2000, Petra had an accident that kept her from performing for several months. But she soon returned to making music!

Unique A Cappella Projects

In 2005, Petra released a very unique album called Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out. On this album, she sang every part of The Who Sell Out by the band The Who, using only her voice. Her friend, Mike Watt, suggested the idea and even gave her the special recorder she used.

To perform this album live, Petra created a group called Petra Haden & The Sellouts. It was a ten-woman a cappella choir! They performed the full album for the first time in July 2005.

Collaborations and Film Music

Petra has worked with many different artists. She released an album with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell. She also added her voice to songs by bands like Sunn O))) and Goatsnake. In 2022, she worked with Greg Anderson again on an album called Devotional.

The Haden Triplets, including Petra, sang as the Fates in Anaïs Mitchell's 2010 album Hadestown.

In 2007, Petra recorded an a cappella version of Journey's hit song "Don't Stop Believin'" for a compilation album. This version was very similar to the one used in the TV show Glee a few years later.

Petra's music has also been featured in movies. She performed on the soundtrack for the film An American Crime in 2008.

TV and Other Projects

In 2009, Toyota asked Petra to sing three songs for their TV commercials for the Toyota Prius car. One of these was an a cappella version of "Let Your Love Flow". She also worked as a vocal coach on the TV show The Sing Off on NBC.

Petra played the violin on the song "Sentimental Tune" by Tegan and Sara in 2009.

In 2011, Petra started a new band called If By Yes with Yuka Honda. They released one album, Salt on Sea Glass.

In 2015, Petra provided vocals for a TV show called Documentary Now!. Her voice was used for a character played by Bill Hader. She even performed live with Bill Hader and Fred Armisen on Late Night With Seth Meyers, where Bill Hader lip-synced to her singing!

Petra worked with Bill Frisell again in 2015, singing on his 2016 album When You Wish Upon A Star.

In 2016, a song called "Easy Street" by The Collapsable Hearts Club, featuring Petra, was played in an episode of The Walking Dead. The song became very popular in the UK after the episode aired.

More recently, in 2021, Petra teamed up with Australian musician Nick Haywood to release the album Back to the Garden.

Petra's Albums

Here is a list of some of the albums Petra Haden has released:

List of albums, with selected details
Title Details
Imaginaryland
  • Released: 1996
  • Format: CD
  • Label: WIN Records (WIN019)
Bella Neurox
(with Miss Murgatroid)
  • Released: 1999
  • Format: CD
  • Label: WIN Records (WIN032)
Petra Haden & Bill Frisell
(with Bill Frisell)
  • Released: 2004
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Skip Records (SKP 9044-2)
Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out
  • Released: 2005
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Bar/None (BRN-CD-160)
Hearts and Daggers
(with Miss Murgatroid)
  • Released: 2008
  • Format: CD, digital
  • Label: File Under Music (FUM003)
The Windmills of Your Mind
(with Paul Motian & Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan)
  • Released: 2011
  • Format: CD, digital, LP
  • Label: Winter & Winter
Petra Goes to the Movies
  • Released: January 2013
  • Format: digital
  • Label: Anti
Seemed Like a Good Idea
(with Jesse Harris)
  • Released: April 2016
  • Format: digital
  • Label: Sunnyside
Behind The Shade
(James Williamson and the Pink Hearts featuring Frank Meyer and Petra Haden
  • Released: June 2018
  • Format: CD, digital, LP
  • Label: Leopard Lady Records (LLR008)
Harmony
(with Bill Frisell, Hank Roberts & Luke Bergman)
  • Released: October 2019
  • Format: digital
  • Label: Caldo Verde
Joey Always Smiled
(with Mark Kozelek)
  • Released: October 2019
  • Format: digital
  • Label: Caldo Verde
Songs for Petra
(John Zorn and Jesse Harris featuring Petra Haden)
  • Released: August 2020
  • Format: digital
  • Label: ABC
Songs from My Father
(with Nick Haywood Quintet)
  • Released: September 2020
  • Format: digital
  • Label: ABC
Back to the Garden
(with Nick Haywood)
  • Released: September 2021
  • Format: digital
  • Label: Nick Hayward
Devotional
(with The Lord)
  • Released: October 2022
  • Format: digital
  • Label: Southern Lord

Awards and Nominations

The ARIA Music Awards are big awards in Australia that celebrate the best music each year.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2021 Songs from My Father (with Nick Haywood) Best Jazz Album Nominated

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Petra Haden para niños

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