At 21, after a failed attempt to begin a journalism career in Moscow and an overwhelming heartbreak, Dan Sheron’s life collapsed. Without so much as saying goodbye to his friends or bothering to pack a bag, Dan took a train bound for Siberia and headed east with a child's guitar and journal that quickly filled with songs. At some point in those manic months, Balto was born, in a third-class train car, singing and drinking among strangers, somewhere east of Novosibirsk.

Over time, Balto transformed from a songwriting vehicle into a rock n roll band – performing a boozy, swaggering style of American music rooted at the intersection of Motown, Big Star, Plastic Ono Band-era Lennon, and Jackson Browne. Their interactive live performances have drawn comparisons to fiery indie rockers My Morning Jacket and Wilco, while Seattle-based curators Artist Home describe their most recent LP Strangers (2017) as “a tangle of beautiful, messy emotions, wrapped up in a sound that’s warmly familiar yet brimming with soul and tiny details that are touched by magic.” They continue to describe Sheron as, “a roots-rock storyteller with the heart of an Edwardian poet—full of romance, sharp observation, knowing humor, and at least a slug or two of whiskey.”

The band has toured steadily for the last several years, with over 120 shows in the past two years alone. They've supported national acts such as The Revivalists, Blind Pilot, David Nail, the Donkeys, and others and performed at wide-ranging festivals including SXSW (TX), Timber! (WA), Salmonfest (AK), PDX Pop Now (OR), Doe Bay Fest (WA), and others. Releases by Balto have been featured by Rolling Stone, Relix, Consequence of Sound, American Songwriter, Daytrotter and others. In 2018, Jam in the Van named Balto's session one of its top 20 of the year, and the band's songs have been featured on official playlists by Spotify, TIDAL, Deezer, Apple Music, and Google Play Music.