AJ Haynes, Noise For Now, Seratones

Biography

A.J. Haynes (she/they) is a Black and Filipina queer singer, songwriter, actress, educator, and reproductive justice advocate from Shreveport, Louisiana. As the lead vocalist and songwriter of the genre-expansive soul power band Seratones, formed in 2013 out of the local club circuit, Haynes burst onto the national scene in 2016 with the band's debut album Get Gone, blending Southern blues rock, punk, funk rock, and retro soul. The album earned critical acclaim, leading to an NPR Music Tiny Desk concert and tours with artists like Charles Bradley, The Dandy Warhols, and Drive-By Truckers.[1][3][4][9]

In 2019, Seratones released their second album Power, produced by Cage the Elephant's Brad Schultz in Nashville, shifting toward a grittier soul sound influenced by vintage Motown and Stax records, with Haynes drawing more personally from her experiences. Beyond music, Haynes has worked for over a decade as a counselor at Hope Medical Group for Women, one of Louisiana's few remaining abortion clinics, and serves as board chair of the Louisiana Abortion Fund—the state's first Black-led abortion fund. She is also a member of the Grammy Recording Academy’s Black Artist Collective.[1][2][4][5][6]

Haynes views art as collective community care, using music and embodiment to explore autonomy, intimacy, ancestral resilience, and revolution, inspired by figures like Audre Lorde. Her interdisciplinary work spans performance, immersive storytelling, and advocacy, emphasizing the body as a site of resistance, pleasure, and liberation.[2][6][7][9]

Fun Facts

• Seratones met through 'transcendental drunken musings, punk shows, experimental art shows, friends of friends, and chance' in Shreveport.[4]
• Haynes wrote the 'fuck you' breakup song on Power in just 2 minutes using drum and bass loops inspired by hip-hop.[1]
• Their music connects across generations, reaching audiences from 2-year-olds to people in their 90s.[4]
• Haynes describes her songwriting as pragmatic 'work time,' not waiting for the muse.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Charles Bradley - Bandleader and musical inspiration observed during tours (Influenced shift from Get Gone to Power) [2016 onward]

Key Collaborators

• Brad Schultz - Producer for Seratones' second album (Power album) [2019]
• Seratones band members - Core band formed through punk shows, art events, and friends in Shreveport (Get Gone (2016), Power (2019)) [2013-present]

External Links

• Spotify