Haley Bonar is an alt-country singer/songwriter who hails from South Dakota, but currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. She plays guitar and keyboards and typically is backed sparingly, in some instances only by a drummer. Chris Morrissey currently plays bass for Haley.
In 2003, Bonar released the album entitled "...The Size of Planets," on Low's label, Chairkicker's Union, which received favorable reviews from the Minneapolis press. The album spawned the single, "Am I Allowed," which was played on college radio stations. In 2006, she released an album entitled "Lure the Fox."
"Lure the Fox" was originally released locally by Mary Ellen Recordings, whose owner, Mary Lewis, after reading a Star Tribune Article about Haley Bonar in 2005, decided to help her financially to record at Pachyderm Studios. Haley recorded at the Cannon Falls, MN studio, where the likes of PJ Harvey and Nirvana recorded. Dave King of Happy Apple and The Bad Plus plays drums, Chris Morrissey plays bass, and the album features Low's Alan Sparhawk on the track "Give it Up". Also playing on that track is David Frankenfeld, Haley's former drummer who played on "The Size of Planets" (2003).
One year after "Lure the Fox" was recorded, Haley signed with local label Afternoon Records, who then released the album nationally in October 2006. "Lure the Fox" earned Haley two Minnesota Music Awards, one for Best American Roots recording, and another for Best American Roots artist. The album also topped all of the Twin Cities year-end favorite lists, including Star Tribune, City Pages, The Onion, and Pulse magazine. Haley was also featured on the cover of METRO magazine in January.
Haley is also featured on the 2007 Andrew Bird record, Armchair Apocrypha.