Hala

Ian Ruhala, a Detroit multi-instrumentalist who also sings and writes songs, shapes airy bedroom pop defined by memorable hooks and a firmly independent ethos. Releasing material as Hala, he assembled an audience from the ground up while still a teenager in the mid-2010s, issuing multiple engaging albums recorded entirely at home that ultimately secured a contract with Universal and led to the appearance of his first professionally produced album in 2020.

Raised in Detroit, he picked up guitar from his father and absorbed the classic rock catalog of the Who and the Beatles. Paul McCartney’s command of many instruments stood out to him in particular, so he turned to free recording programs and assorted inexpensive tools to learn every aspect of track construction and performance himself. While attending high school he launched a run of self-made albums under the name Hala, fusing those vintage rock touchstones with the unpolished indie-pop approach then current among artists such as Mac DeMarco. Between 2014 and 2018 his productivity was especially high, as he honed his voice across numerous independent albums and singles; tracks including “Sorry” and “What Is Love, Tell Me, Is It Easy?” drew large streaming totals, and he performed regularly throughout Metro Detroit. After signing with Universal he went to Washington to cut his major-label debut with producer Ryan Hadlock (the Lumineers, Vance Joy). Red Herring reached stores in April 2020.