Found in the Inbox: Halo Circus Write “Anthems for Introverts” on “Desire (Lo Que Vale La Pena)

Allison Iraheta describes the songs of Halo Circus as “anthems for introverts,” music that reaches into the places people rarely talk about. “Desire (Lo Que Vale La Pena),” the lead single from the band’s album Bunny, arrived in spring 2016, at the end of a run that the campaign Rive Video Promotion sent us laid out step by step.

Built in front of audiences

According to the release, Halo Circus spent three years developing their sound in front of live audiences, and re-recorded their entire debut album when it did not meet their own expectations. Their shows led the Grammys to ask them to headline the organization’s first local Los Angeles showcase, which led to an invitation to the Grammys’ “Women Who Rock” Festival at Sea with Heart and Emmylou Harris. Duran Duran’s John Taylor called them “the best live band in the USA.” A four-week Friday residency at the Hotel Cafe followed, and the band later curated and headlined its own night at the Troubadour, “Say It Loud! A Night of Cultural Disruption,” which Vents Magazine called “transformative.”

Four veterans, one voice

Iraheta is the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, raised in South Central Los Angeles with Spanish as her first language, and the campaign says her background shapes the band’s most popular songs, including “Yo Me Voy,” “All I Have” and “Desire.” Bassist and keyboardist Matthew Hager was a No. 1 Billboard, multi-platinum producer who had worked with Duran Duran, Scott Weiland, Mindi Abair and Mandy Moore. Drummer Veronica Bellino, trained in Cantonese and orchestral drumming, had worked with Jeff Beck and DMC of Run-DMC. Guitarist Brian Stead completed the lineup.

Their 2013 EP Gone, on Manimal Vinyl, debuted at No. 43 on the iTunes Pop chart and included Spanish versions of “Gone” and “Nothing Left.” Their cover of Duran Duran’s “Do You Believe in Shame?” appeared on the tribute Making Patterns Rhyme alongside Moby, Little Dragon and Warpaint, and its video, directed by Mazik, won five ADDY awards.

A tour the fans paid for

On February 8, 2016, the band announced via Billboard what the campaign calls the first fully crowd-sourced American tour attempted on that scale. Fans fully funded it in nine weeks, with 30 cities and counting. Bunny, produced by Hager and mixed by Grammy winner Craig Bauer, was set for release on May 27, and “Desire” was downloaded 655,000 times in its first week through a BitTorrent Bundle promotion.

Why it was in the inbox

Very few bands can say their audience literally built their tour. “Desire” is the sound of a group whose reputation was earned one room at a time.

Watch the official video

Release details and quotes from Rive Video Promotion’s 2016 campaign for “Desire (Lo Que Vale La Pena).” This feature updates Exposed Vocals’ original May 2016 post.