Born To Rock

Ed Haaker was born and raised in Southern California and began singing, playing guitar and writing songs in his 20s. He loves the music of Tom Petty, Neil Young and Jimmy Buffett, which played a huge part in setting him on the musical path.

Ed’s debut album, ”South Sea Sojourn”, was released in 2019. The songs were inspired by a 9 month experience he had traveling by plane, sailboat and freighter in the South Seas when he was 23 years old. The record was produced and recorded by longtime singer, songwriter and producer Allan Thomas, when living on the North Shore of Kauai, Hawaii.

Ed has since moved back to Southern California and just released his 2nd album, “Born To Rock“, produced and recorded by Keith Lynch. The Ed Haaker Project is a collaboration of my co-writers each taking turns performing our compositions. The songs span the musical territory of singer songwriter story songs to blues and even some hard rock. The musicians on the recording are some of the finest in Los Angeles, Nashville and Hawaii, including Keith Carlock, Jimmy Johnson, Michael Ruff, Allan Thomas and Jim ’Kimo’ West.

Keith Carlock is an American musician who has played drums with Toto, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, John Mayer, Sting, Chris Botti, and Christopher Cross.

Jimmy Johnson is an American bass guitarist best known for his work with James Taylor and Allan Holdsworth.

Michael Ruff is a Grammy nominated producer and songwriter. Writing, production, touring and recording credits include Bonnie Raitt, David Sanborn, Lionel Richie, Chaka Khan, Kenny Loggins, Gino Vannelli and many others.

Singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Allan Thomas specializes in acoustic based pop music, which would serve as the perfect soundtrack on a breezy Hawaiian beach at sundown. He has recorded with the likes of David Crosby, Graham Nash and Donald Fagen.

Jimmy ’Kimo’ West is regarded as one of the world’s foremost Hawaiian ’slack key’ guitar artists and his music has garnered over seventy-five million spins on streaming services. For his work as long time guitarist with Weird Al Yankowich, he has earned 4 Grammy’s and a Billboard #1 CD debut for 2015’s “Mandatory Fun”.

Other musicians on the new album includes Ronnie Ciago, Amanda Frazier, MB Gordy, Bryan Kessler, Keith Lynch and Jimmy Wood.

Ed Haaker’s main goal is to make original, genuine music that people have fun listening to, and that he has a blast writing and playing.