Biography

Hazey Jane is the creation of Karen Landau, a Los Angeles based singer/ songwriter. The new album, Holy Ghost, is a collaboration of four unique and talented musicians: Karen on vocals and guitar, Michael Landau on guitar and bass, Greg Leisz on pedal steel and Charley Drayton on drums. Hazey Jane fuses country-inspired guitar with mesmerizing vocals and folk-driven melodies to build a unique sound all its own.

Born and raised in East Tennessee, some of Karen’s earliest musical influences include Peter, Paul and Mary, the Kingston Trio, Simon and Garfunkel, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan. In her early teens, she listened to the Kinks, The Who and Pink Floyd and later was inspired and influenced by Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Nick Drake, Chris Whitley, Cat Power, and Gillian Welsh, to name but a few.

Karen began her musical career early, with training in piano and violin starting at age 6 and singing in church and school choirs. As a teenager, she pursued a career in ballet, leaving high school early to dance professionally with the Tennessee Festival Ballet and later joining the Boston Ballet II, the Nevada Dance Theatre and the Cincinnati Ballet. She then moved to Los Angeles and continued to dance in commercials, music videos, TV and movies and also worked as an actress, appearing in For the Boys, starring Bette Midler and James Caan and in Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks.

During this time, she started her first group, Stolen Fish, which began as an acoustic duo and eventually grew into a band with Chris Roy on bass, Makoto Izumitani on drums, and guitarist Michael Landau. They recorded two albums and performed regularly around Los Angeles. Karen then went on to create Hazey Jane, enjoying a more folk-oriented sound, inspired by and named after the elusive muse of Nick Drake.

In addition to playing shows in and around Los Angeles, Hazey Jane has performed at The Big Sur Jade Festival, the Dive Bar in Las Vegas, and often sings at venues here at home and all across Europe with her husband’s band, The Michael Landau Group.

Hazey Jane’s delicious blend of sounds is:

Charley Drayton: Drums – Charley has played with numerous artists including Keith Richards, divinyls and Michelle Branch and currently tours and records with Fiona Apple and Paul Simon, just to name a few.

Michael Landau: Guitar – Michael has recorded and toured with hundreds of artists including Joni Mitchell and Miles Davis. He currently tours and records with James Taylor, Michelle Branch, Renegade Creation (w/ Robben Ford) and many other artists as well as with his own band, The Michael Landau Group.

Greg Leisz: Pedal Steel – Greg has recorded and toured with many artists including Joni Mitchell, and records and tours currently with Bill Frisell, Emmy Lou Harris, KD Lang, and Joe Montagne.