She plays mostly acoustic guitar and a rhodes or wurlitzer organ, either solo or with her Minneapolis-based band, including Jeremy Ylvisaker and Mike Lewis of Andrew Bird fame, as well as long time band mates Luke Anderson on drums and Jacob Hanson on guitar.
In 2003 Bonar's album . . . The Size of Planets (Chairkicker's Union) received favorable reviews in the Minneapolis press. The album spawned the single "Am I Allowed," which was played on college radio stations. Bonar was 20 years old when the album was released, and did a number of tours with Duluth band Low upon its release. She also toured with the likes of Mason Jennings, Richard Buckner, and Mary Lou Lord, who was also, for a time, Bonar's manager.
In 2006 she released the album Lure the Fox, originally on Mary Ellen Recordings, whose owner, Mary Lewis, decided to help Bonar pay to record the album at Pachyderm Studio after reading a Star Tribune article about her in 2005. 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 on that track is David Frankenfeld, Bonar's former drummer, who played on The Size of Planets. One year after Lure the Fox was recorded, Bonar signed with local label Afternoon Records, who then released the album nationally in October 2006.
Lure the Fox earned Bonar two Minnesota Music Awards, one for Best American Roots recording, and another for Best American Roots artist. The album also topped many Twin Cities year-end favorite lists, including those of the Star Tribune, City Pages, The Onion, and Pulse magazine. Bonar was also featured on the cover of Metro magazine.
Big Star, released in June 2008 on Afternoon Records, gained Bonar a broader audience with songs like "Big Star," "Green Eyed Boy," and "Arms of Harm," which was featured on the credits for an episode of HBO's The United States of Tara. The songs "Queen of Everything," "Big Star," and "Something Great" were also featured on MTV's show Teen Moms in 2009/2010.
Upon completion of her album Golder, she also started a side project band called Gramma's Boyfriend, a "no-wave, new wave, punkish kind of thing that sounds like the Twin Peaks High School prom band". Bonar started a Kickstarter campaign in February 2011 in order to raise money to promote and tour her upcoming record. She played the 2011 SXSW music festival in March, released the album in April, and toured it summer 2011.
- wikipedia
Hometown
Haley Bonar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let it burn in the rearview mirror
The folks I know will all go
On their way to staying the same
But the further that I get
The deeper my regrets
Hometown goes wherever you go
Hometown goes wherever you go
Such a beautiful ring of black fire
I can see it for miles and miles
When I come back I'll be
Something to somebody
Just imagine what they'll say
I'll see 'em on my way
Hometown goes wherever you go
Hometown goes wherever you go
Hometown goes wherever you go
Further that I get, the deeper my regrets
Hometown goes wherever you go
Hometown goes wherever you go
Hometown goes wherever you go
In Haley Bonar's song "Hometown", the singer is reflecting on her decision to leave her hometown and the conflicting emotions that come with it. The first verse sets the tone for the song, with the singer stating that she has saved up and is ready to leave her hometown in the rearview mirror. She knows that the people she knows will all stay the same, but as she gets further away, she has deeper regrets about leaving. Throughout the song, the singer acknowledges that her hometown will always be a part of her, no matter where she goes. The chorus emphasizes this, with the repeated line, "Hometown goes wherever you go." The singer recognizes the beauty of her hometown, describing it as a "ring of black fire" that she can see for miles and miles. She admits that when she returns, she wants to be something to somebody and imagines how they will talk and see her during her visit.
The song's message is one of conflicting emotions between leaving and staying. While the singer knows she has to leave to pursue her dreams, her hometown will always be a part of her identity. It's a relatable topic for a lot of people who have left their hometowns to explore other places, but always feel a connection to where they grew up.
Line by Line Meaning
All grown up, saving up for my exit
Now an adult, working to have enough money to leave my hometown
Let it burn in the rearview mirror
Leaving my hometown behind and not looking back
The folks I know will all go
The people I grew up with will stay in our hometown
On their way to staying the same
They will continue living their lives without change
But the further that I get
As I move farther away from my hometown
The deeper my regrets
I feel more and more remorse about leaving
Hometown goes wherever you go
The memories and experiences from your hometown always stay with you
Such a beautiful ring of black fire
The town may look nice from a distance, but it holds negative memories
I can see it for miles and miles
The negative aspects of my hometown are clear and visible, even from far away
When I come back I'll be
When I return to my hometown
Something to somebody
I will have accomplished things and be meaningful to someone in my hometown
Just imagine what they'll say
I wonder what the people from my hometown will think of me when I return
I'll see 'em on my way
I will have to pass through my hometown to get to my destination
Contributed by Bentley V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MichelleMassaMCM
This version is so amazing
@autumngirl_2
What a cool song!! Love ❤ her voice!
@AmaranthOriginal
This song makes me nostalgic for the 90s. I'm not even sure what band specifically it reminds me of, just the general vibe of 90s music.
@leandror8168
Mazzy Star. Fade Into You ?
@omega-levelnightmares3763
Cranberries?
@chuckabbate5924
The Sundays. For the win. Her sound is a pastiche of several influences...kismet kill is very joy division. But like Neko Case she has carved out her own space sonically
@dumena
Maybe some Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty? I came across the song just days ago and can't be without it now.
@thalitamedeiros7753
Brazil love you Kexp <3
@DowserGratt
oh damn, what a lovely voice
@blackholesun2388
I heard this song in radio and now I’m in love