Ariel Bloomer

Early life

Ariel was born in Sweden on September 6, 1989, the second oldest child of an American father and a Swedish mother who had met at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. The family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota when Ariel was six, then to Decatur, Illinois when she was sixteen for her father's job.

Music career

Having harbored a lifelong ambition to be a "rock star", Ariel developed a habit in her teenage years of asking every musician she met about starting a band. This tactic ultimately succeeded when she met guitarist Shawn Jump in late 2007 and started a songwriting collaboration with him. Jump brought in his old friend, drummer Adam Kronshagen, and the group officially formed the following December under the name Icon for Hire. Following the independent release of two EPs, a self-titled EP in 2008 followed by another EP titled The Grey in 2009, the band was signed by Tooth & Nail Records and released their debut album, Scripted, which broke the label's record for first week sales by a new artist, peaking at No. 95 on the US Billboard 200. Icon for Hire was released on October 6, 2013, peaking at No. 65 on the Billboard 200.

Personal life

Ariel is a Christian and has spoken openly about her faith, though she has frequently asked that her band not be labeled a Christian rock band for fear of alienating non-believers. She is an amateur fashion designer, frequently wearing self-made clothing and selling her own brand, Custom Catastrophes, through the website Etsy.