HazyShade Music

For the solo act, known as Kirsten Haze, the artist accompanies herself on piano or acoustic guitar, switching between the two depending on the song. In some cases (e.g., shorter sets or very small spaces) she may bring only the guitar.

For the duo act, known as Haze & Dacey, Haze is accompanied by John Dacey, who adds upright bass and rich vocal harmonies. They often switch things up, taking turns singing lead and backing parts, and alternating intrumentation between guitar/bass, piano/bass, guitar/piano, and guitar/percussion.

The Haze & Dacey Trio is a straightforward string trio with Haze on acoustic guitar and vocals, Dacey on upright bass and vocals, and Doug Austin on mandolin and backing vocals. The sound maintains the acoustic earthiness of the indie-folk duo, but often veers toward bluegrass with the addition of virtuosic mandolin leads.

Regardless of the format, the indie-folk sound and offbeat repertoire offered by HazyShade Music will appeal to crowds who enjoy a rootsy organic vibe, clean vocals, and outstanding songs that are not overplayed. They can adapt the song selection and delivery to the situation, from providing mellow background music for a cocktail hour to putting on a folk-rockin' show on a big stage. All are seasoned musicians with years of experience playing at wineries, breweries, restaurants, farmers markets, arts festivals, park concert series, songwriter showcases, music halls, retirement communities, house concerts, and other private events.

Kirsten was born in Connecticut, moved to Austria when she was seven, and returned to the motherland for college. Kirsten earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology and wildlife ecology, but music was always her Big Love. She once told her graduate advisor that if she were forced to choose between ecology and music, she would choose music. For many years she avoided making that choice; she worked as a state government ecologist by day and as a musician on the side. But one day in 2022, she finally gave in to the Muse, quitting her day job to pursue a full-time career as a singer/songwriter. Because of her abiding interest in wildlife and land conservation, she is especially interested in playing at fundraising events for land trusts and other environmental organizations.

For small to medium events, indoors and out, HazyShade Music can provide their own sound reinforcement, using a Bose L1 Pro32 with a TASCAM Model 16 mixer. The musicians will arrive well in advance of scheduled performances to ensure plenty of time for setup and sound check.