It doesn’t matter how much you think you have the music in you, breaking the news to Mom and Dad that you intend to join a band, go on tour and live the rock ’n’ roll life is rarely something that goes down well. But the members of Haim (pronounced “high-um”) were raised insurroundings that were more akin to a rehearsal room than a standard slice of suburbia.
“Our dad taught us to play drums in our living room,” explains bassist Este Haim, who along with her younger sisters Danielle (vocals, guitar) and Alana (keyboards, vocals, guitars) make up the band that bears their family name. “We have three drum sets in there, and our dad is an insane drummer. So we would have after-dinner drum battles. He would do a beat, then we would have to copy it and go one better. Mom would teach us Joni Mitchell songs on guitar. There was never much silence in our house.”
Mama and Papa Haim certainly taught their flock well because 2013 will see their daughters become a constant presence. The LA siblings have emerged from their upbringing with a unique sound that echoes the classic rock melodies they heard on the family stereo, but also incorporates the girls’ modern Top-40 influences. Like Fleetwood Mac given a 21st-century R&B makeover.
“We actually played our first show as Haim on 7-7-07,” remembers Este. “At the time I was studying, Danielle was on tour a lot with other people like Jenny Lewis and Julian Casablancas. Alana was still in school. But in June 2010, all those commitments ended at the same time so we knew it was time to lock ourselves away and write.”
That period of creativity produced their first two EPs, “Forever” and “Don’t Save Me,” which were both released last year to a rapturous response, particularly in Europe, where the band have been championed by influential British weekly NME. The immediate impact of the EPs and their immaculate live show landed them a deal with Columbia Records, which will release their as-yet-untitled debut album in the spring.
Needless to say, the proud parents have been watching from the sidelines, and sometimes even joining in. Just before Christmas, Haim played a landmark show at Music Hall of Williamsburg that coincided with Alana’s 21st birthday. The Haim family marked the occasion by reuniting Rockinhaim, the band that the sisters played in with their mom and dad as kids.
“That was the craziest gig we’ve ever played,” says Este, 26. “After being in Europe for two months, it felt like a homecoming. There were a lot of tears of joy that night. But our parents are not always there, and they’re not they’re sort of parents who try to tell us to stop partying. They know we’re not 13 anymore. Anyway, most of the time our version of partying is lying in bed watching Netflix.”
Haim make their hotly anticipated return to town on Feb. 12 when they open for Mumford & Sons at Barclays Center. Este says the British folk-rockers have become honorary additions to the Haim family.
“We toured on their summer festival, and they’re like brothers to us now,” she says. “On our way to one show in Tennessee, we saw a fireworks superstore and bought $300 worth. The guys insisted we come to their house and let them all off.
“One of them was called a ‘kamikaze,’ which we should have figured was a rogue. It flew into our huddle, where it exploded. We couldn’t help but laugh because we knew that we could have all died. Can you imagine the headline? ‘Haim Kill Mumford & Sons in Fireworks Disaster!’ ”
Guess there’s only so much fun you can have with Netflix.