Cassidy Haley has hitchhiked barefoot across the country, participated in political actions from Washington DC to the forests of Oregon, joined the Hari Krishnas in the mountains of Kentucky and stripped in the seediest gay clubs of San Francisco.

All those experiences have helped define Haley’s unique sound, which culminated in 2009 EP Little Boys and Dinosaurs, a theatrical collection of electro-art-pop originals. It soared to No. 3 on iTunes electronic albums chart, and the sexy video for Whiskey In Churches became a viral hit and earned Haley an army of new fans.

The L.A.-based performer has a background rooted in the circus/performing arts communities of San Francisco. His shows, then, are much more than voice and guitar. They incorporate elaborate costumes, post-modern movement, complex staging and avant-garde theatrics.

"I was a raver as a teenager. Bjork was a big influence. I hitchhiked across the country going to Rainbow Gatherings. There were all these drum circles and wandering minstrels that were really inspiring. Going to Burning Man and meeting this whole community of really conscious people," Haley says.

"I've always had a real passion for what this world could be -- this kind of utopian idealism of what we could accomplish. I think all of that boils together. I've (also) had my fair share of issues and really used music to work through this struggle to be free, to be loving, to find my place in the world."

He’s not only finding his place -- he’s making a mark. Haley keeps in regular touch with fans via his YouTube channel and Twitter page, and he just released a starkly beautiful video for Daylight Breaks. He’s also planning a cross-country tour, with Houston as one of his first stops; and working on new material.

"If people seeing me as a strong, confident man being really open with his sexuality and that can spark a conversation or give somebody courage in the middle of the country that has never really seen that before,“ he says, “That's just really exciting to me."

Indeed.