Donovan Melero

On April 8, 2019, the band revealed that they were going on an indefinite hiatus from touring and releasing music. The announcement read, "All Sianvar music releases and activities have been postponed indefinitely." It continued, "This isn't a permanent goodbye, though it could be a while before we meet again". During the hiatus, Swan joined American post-hardcore band Royal Coda while Donovan Melero and Sergio Medina formed the post-hardcore duo Nova Charisma and signed to Equal Vision Records.

During the later months of Sianvar's activity, Melero and former Stolas guitarist Sergio Medina began writing and recording material as a duo with former Stolas drummer Carlos Marquez. Melero began teasing releasing new music under a new project in early 2019. On August 15, 2019, Nova Charisma announced its formation and their debut release, Exposition I, with a scheduled release date of August 22, on Equal Vision Records. On the creation of Nova Charisma, Melero stated "4 days after Sianvar’s last tour, we were on a plane to London, UK to spend 3 weeks writing the music that would begin the chapter of our next musical endeavor together. We both followed what made us excited; what felt right. It was becoming clear very quickly that continuing to create music with one another was what felt the best. And from there, Nova Charisma was born."

On November 1, the duo announced their debut tour, scheduled to begin December 14 and conclude on December 22, 2019, in the United States. On December 6, the duo released their second EP, Exposition II.

On January 2, 2018, Hail the Sun posted a statement confirming that they were recording their upcoming fourth studio album with producer Beau Burchell, guitarist in American post-hardcore band Saosin. The band released two new songs from the album on June 20, 2018, with the entirety of Mental Knife later releasing on September 28, 2018. They released the single "Devastate and Recalibrate" on September 5, 2019.

The band released their third full-length studio album, Culture Scars, on June 17, 2016. Melero spoke about the group's creative direction for the album in an interview with Kill Your Stereo. "We didn’t intentionally plan to make a darker or heavier record," he said. "We just really love to play that type of music, and it translated into this record." On November 8, 2017, Hail the Sun released the single "1109" and announced their extended play (EP), Secret Wars, which was released on November 10.

Their first song, "Sick Machine", was released in November 2013, which was followed by the release of the band's self-titled debut EP, Sianvar, which was released on January 5, 2014, on Blue Swan Records. Following the departure of the group's bass guitarist Michael Littlefield, former A Lot Like Birds guitarist Michael Franzino pursued bass guitar duties and the band wrote and recorded their debut studio album with producer Dryw Owens at Little Russia Recording Studios in North Highlands, California. The resulting album, Stay Lost, was released on August 5, 2016. The group toured in support of the album a number of tours with Icarus the Owl, Frameworks, Wolf & Bear, and Ghost Atlas. In 2018, the toured as support on Dance Gavin Dance's spring tour with ERRA and I See Stars.

Because of his acquaintance with Dance Gavin Dance lead guitarist and Blue Swan Records label owner Will Swan, Melero helped amalgamate the post-hardcore supergroup Sianvar. The band announced their formation on July 23, 2013. The group's first iteration consisted of Dance Gavin Dance guitarist Will Swan, Hail the Sun drummer and vocalist Donovan Melero, Stolas guitarist Sergio Medina, and A Lot Like Birds bassist Michael Littlefield and drummer Joseph Arrington. They signed with Swan's independent record label Blue Swan Records.

While attending California State University, Chico for computer science and music production, Donovan Melero became acquainted with musicians Shane Gann, Aric Garcia, and John Stirrat. The four-piece began writing and recording music and formed the American post-hardcore band Hail the Sun. While using the campus' recording studio, the group recorded their debut studio album, POW! Right In the Kisser!, over the course of three months, which was released on May 21, 2010, independently. Influenced by musical groups such as Saosin, The Mars Volta, and The Fall of Troy, the band continued to write and record, later releasing their debut extended play (EP), Elephantitis, on July 3, 2012. After extensive touring, the band subsequently signed to Blue Swan Records, an independent record label founded by Dance Gavin Dance lead guitarist Will Swan, in 2013. With the label, Hail the Sun released their second full-length studio album, Wake, on September 23, 2014. After touring in support of the album, the band departed from Blue Swan Records and signed to Equal Vision Records, in December 2015.

Donovan Melero (born March 5, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist, and booking agent born in Ventura, California. He is the vocalist, drummer and co-founder of the American post-hardcore band Hail the Sun. He is also the lead vocalist in the American rock bands Sianvar and Nova Charisma. Melero became a booking agent for The Artery Foundation in 2014 and has been the chief operating officer for Blue Swan Records since 2018.

Donovan Melero was born on March 5, 1989 in Ventura, California. He graduated from the California State University of Chico in May 2011. Throughout high school, Melero became addicted to drugs and abused alcohol due to low self-esteem and clinical depression. He is now sober from alcohol and drugs and is a recovered addict.