Ari Herstand

January 15, 2008 was the greatest day of my life. It was the day that I noticed I was only on the schedule at Minneapolis' City Center Starbucks once that week and realized that I had been only on the schedule once a week for the past few weeks and was doing ok financially. No health insurance, sure, but was paying my rent on time, all my bills and had some spending money to frequent the Uptown Diner occasionally. I had also just heard from my college booking agent that I landed a showcase at the Spring 2008 Northern Plains NACA conference where I'd play a 15 minute set in front of about 2,000 kids representing colleges around the "Northern Plains." That day I told my manager at Starbucks that it was to be my last day working.



I never looked back.



That 15 minute showcase turned into 70 college gigs. Over the past three years since quitting Starbucks I have been fortunate enough to have toured the country playing countless clubs, colleges, festivals (SXSW and Summerfest), high schools yes high schools, and have opened for some of my favorite artists like Ben Folds, Cake, Matt Nathanson, Eric Hutchinson and Joshua Radin. I've also had songs featured on One Tree Hill, The Real World and countless episodes of Ari TV.



People who see me live typically ask how I got into looping and why my looping isn't featured on my studio albums. Well, to answer the first question, I have always loved performing with a band - so much on stage musical chemistry and I love feeling the power of the full band playing together. In my early stages when my band members couldn't make a show I felt like there was a large musical element that was missing from the overall sound. I went to the music store one day and asked if they had anything that enabled me to loop my instruments and voice live, on stage. They introduced me to the loop station and the rest is history I suppose.



Because I had been writing my songs with a full band in mind, when I went into the studio I approached the recordings as such. On my most recent studio album, Whispering Endearments, I had the honor of working with many incredible musicians to create the full sound I had envisioned when I initially wrote the songs. That full sound I'd been trying to recreate solo over the past few years when I play solo shows - hence the loop station. However, because I have been performing solo for so long - and have really grown into this looping show - people have started latching onto my looping - why I released my live DVD/CD package Live at The Pause that captured a solo show featuring the looping. I've recently been writing many new songs for the looping. This is what they call in the biz musical growth or development. Or something like that.



Musically I grew up in Minneapolis - where I spent 7 years of my life including college and played my very first coffee shop shows. I recently moved to LA to continue my musical journey, challenge myself to become a better performer and songwriter annnnnd get out of the Midwest winters!



I'm so honored to be able to do what I love for a living and wish I could give everyone a hug and a kiss (or fist pound for the fellas) to everyone who comes to my shows because it means that much to me to see you at a show. It's how I'm able to do what I do for a living. Thank you for supporting me, spreading the music and thank you for reading to the bottom of this very long-winded bio! The end.



Love,



~Ari