WITH A TRIO OF GRAMMY NOMINATIONS, A CLUTCH OF HIT ALBUMS AND AN OSCAR NOD BETWEEN THEM, HAIM ARE FAST BECOMING THE BIGGEST FEMALE ROCK BAND IN THE WORLD. THE THREE SISTERS – ALANA, DANIELLE AND ESTE – TELL LOTTIE LUMSDEN ABOUT THE STRUGGLES THEY HAVE FACED TO GET HERE
HAIM ARE TELLING ME ABOUT THE BEST party they’ve ever had. ‘I stayed up until the sun came up,’ says Alana, the band’s youngest member. ‘When we go out, we don’t know how to leave,’ adds her eldest sister, Este. Danielle smiles knowingly.
The party in question took place after their gig at London’s O2 arena last July, which was also the last European night of their worldwide ‘One More Haim Tour’. The show got rave reviews, including one that said, ‘Slinky, breathless and defiant, the Californian trio of sister musicians prove they might just be the best rock band in the world.’ Their close friend Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance, all four in matching custommade Louis Vuitton leather trousers, to perform their hit track ‘Gasoline’ with them. When the concert finished, Este, 37, Danielle, 34, and Alana, 31, celebrated, just as any good rock band should. ‘It felt like our wedding day,’ smiles Alana. ‘It was pretty f***ing cool. We hit the streets with our friends. I was like, “I don’t really care where we go. I just want tequila.”’
Performing is what Haim love best. ‘It’s the thing we find most joy in,’ says Este. And when I meet them, on the rooftop of the Thompson Hollywood hotel in Los Angeles on a sunny spring morning, they are getting ready for a busy summer of shows. Not only are they headlining London’s All Points East festival on 28 August, they will also be supporting Swift on some of the US leg of her ‘Eras’ tour. In between gigs, they’re writing their fourth album.
We’re sitting at a corner table, perched on a banquette scattered with yellow-and-white candy-stripe cushions. Behind us lies a Slim Aarons-style pool, with planters of lavender surrounding the table. There’s plenty of rock-starappropriate leather going on: Este is in jeans, a white tee, black heeled boots and a leather jacket, with her blonde hair pushed to one side. Danielle is wearing a black leather bomber, sweater and trousers, while Alana sports a cosylooking Louis Vuitton brown bomber over her jeans. They’ve got real presence: as soon as they walked in, it was clear that rock stars had entered the building. One waiter even squealed, ‘Oh my god! You’re my favourite band!’
You never know what to
