It’s been a while between album releases for sister-trio HAIM, whose released their hugely successful debut album Days Are Gone way back in 2013. Considering they first said they were nearing the release stage for album number two back in October last year, fans have been chomping at the bit for some of that new, fresh out of the oven, material for a while. Those who happened to be at their recent gig at The Observatory in Santa Ana were treated to a preview of it – along with a cover of Prince’s I Would Die 4 U. Luckily for everyone else, some fans managed to get pretty decent footage of the performance, which has since been shared across the internet.
https://youtu.be/CWTmcDqXDFo
In addition to the cover, the trio shared two new songs, said to be titled Nothing’s Wrong and Give Me Just a Little Bit of Your Love. Both tracks certainly call to mind a bit of a Fleetwood Mac vibe, which is totally understandable and fitting given the California rock influence all over HAIM’s sound. They even opted to cover one of Fleetwood Mac’s most famous songs, Dreams, when they performed at a benefit for women in music earlier this month.
The first of the new tracks has the trio making the most of their natural harmonies while the second focuses a little more on the upbeat influences of 1980s new wave so synonymous with the band. Nothing’s Wrong in particular, is surely going to sit in pride of place alongside their existing fan-favourites with both it’s Cali country-rock-influenced guitar solo and lines that simply demand you sing along.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrcriK0wAOw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v1gsAXtPU8
The band have a pretty impressive list of tour dates coming up and we’re hoping that a) the new album drops somewhere along the way and that b) they get the chance to bring their show to Australia in 2016.
Image: Billboard
Last year, pop-rock sister trio Haim mentioned that they wanted to revive the Lilith Fair concert tour, started by Sarah McLachlan in the 90s.
Speaking to music critic Kelefa Sanneh, one third of the sister trio Este, said that they talk about how the imbalance of gender representation when it comes to festival line-up very often: “We talk about this all the time, how there aren’t enough female-represented bands and artists at festivals. You don’t see them. And it’s really sad for us. We came up with the idea basically of why can’t we just bring back a festival that’s just ladies.”
While a Lilith Fair reboot has yet to come to fruition, it turns out that they really weren’t kidding and have been confirmed to play the inaugural Girls to the Front benefit, which supports Girls Rock Camp Foundation (GRCF).
Image: YouTube
A not-for-profit organisation in the US, GRCF serves as the umbrella funding body for more than 45 Girls Rock Camps across the United States, and recently was held in Canberra as well. In addition to Haim’s involvement, Golden Globe Award winner and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star Rachel Bloom will host the event. Taking place on March 9 at Chateau Marmont and sponsored by Microsoft, board member Tara Perkins released a statement saying that, “We are extremely excited to have this chance to bring the wider music community into the inspiring, life-changing world of Girls Rock Camps.” The event also involves Marianne Faithfull, Cyndi Lauper, Reba McEntire, Yoko Ono, Katy Perry and Tegan and Sara.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiqIush2nTA
Image: Billboard
Sisterly trio HAIM have delighted fans around the world, revealing on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 Radio show that the follow-up to their 2013 debut album is well and truly underway.
“We’re getting stuff done,” they said. “It’s sounding really cool. Essentially the oven has been pre-heated and the oven door is open. More 350 if I’m being honest. Fish fingers in the tray.”
The trio sat down with the famed radio presenter for a special Halloween edition of his program. In between spinning tunes, they discussed a variety of topics, including their new album and their recently-announced very own show on Beats 1 Radio, “Haim Time“. Haim Time, which was first announced in August, will premiere on Thursday November 5th at 10 pm EST.
The girls revealed that they’ve been working on their new album, the follow-up to Days Are Gone, “every day”.
News has also now surfaced that HAIM have been working with Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend. Batmanglij shared this video of Danielle Haim “ripping” a guitar solo in the studio.
HAIM are well overdue for an Australian visit, having last toured the country for St Jerome’s Laneway Festival back in 2014.
Fashion and music have always had a special relationship – just ask Kanye. They often have crossovers, as they come together and give creativity a new meaning. Alexander Wang has seen the effect of celebrity from other campaigns, not to mention being name-dropped in a myriad hip hop tracks, so he’s gone and enlisted a whole bunch of them for his ‘Do Something’ campaign.
If you looked at the list of artists who have taken part in the campaign, you’d think you were looking at a festival line-up. And what a line-up it would be!
The campaign features Kanye West, Grimes, A$AP Rocky, Haim, Lykke Li, Angel Haze, the Weeknd, Pusha T, Alice Glass, Jhene Aiko, AlunaGeorge’s Aluna Francis, the Gossip’s Beth Ditto, the Kills’ Alison Mosshart and more, clad in black hoodies and and graphic tees posing in black and white photos.
Do Something is an organisation that focuses on young people and social change. They have a variety of campaigns that tackle different issues, such as back-to-school stress, cyberbullying and taking care of the environment. Wang’s campaign celebrated their 10th anniversary, while spreading awareness in light of the good things they do.
Check out some of the beautiful photos, shot by Steven Klein.
Visit the Alexander Wang Facebook page for a look at the rest.
In amongst all the fuss surrounding Tame Impala‘s third album Currents being released last month, it seems just about everyone has caught onto the Perth psych-rock outfit – everyone including HAIM.
That’s right! The sister trio who famous for their tracks Falling, Forever and The Wire on their 2013 debut album Days Are Gone, have very recently released a “remix” of Tame Impala’s Cause I’m A Man. The word remix is in inverted commas, because it’s slightly different to what you’d probably expect. From just a few seconds in on the track, you’ll know what I mean.
Toeing the line between remix and cover, HAIM have turned the track on it’s head and made it entirely their own. From the heart wrenching vocals of singer Danielle and subsequent backing melodies from Este and Alana, to the staggering production and plethora of subtle samples, this remix/cover is a serious contender for best of the year.
Lush, full and complete, HAIM have pulled out all the stops for this release and it shows. Sounding almost mechanical in some ways, it’s been slowed down, and somehow amped up with the emotion. There is something liberating about Danielle’s soaring delivering of the chorus, the hard hitting drums and the way the track rises and falls as it slowly stumbles along. It’s really something special, and the sisters have done the track a whole lot of justice.
Danielle announced the release of the track via the band’s Instagram, where she gave an insight into the first time she saw Tame Impala perform:“I remember standing in the crowd and not really understanding how this MASSIVE sound was coming off the stage with just 4 people playing. They were one of the best bands I had ever seen live. When I went back to my hotel, I downloaded their EP immediately — told my sisters to also — and since then we’ve seen their incredible shows all over the world at various festivals and loved every record.”
This isn’t HAIM’s first foray into the remixing/covering world, with the young women also known for their renditions of Beyonce‘s XO and Miley Cyrus‘ Wrecking Ball. Taking on one of 2015’s strongest releases was a bold move, but they’ve more than pulled it off here. There is no word (still) on a follow up to their 2013 release, but their recent collaboration with Calvin Harris had HAIM fans very excited indeed for fresh material. Watch this space!
It’s been ages since we’ve heard anything from French post-electro legends M83, and I certainly wasn’t expecting this. Fresh from their collaboration with EDM star Calvin Harris, everyone’s favourite sisterly trio Haim feature on the new track Holes In The Sky.
It’s fairly toned down and not as epic as the majority of M83 stuff, and definitely sounds like the kind of song that comes on as the opening credits start rollin and people file out of a movie theatre. It’s lush and emotional, with sweeping chords and strings and booming choruses.
The track features on the soundtrack to upcoming film Insurgent, a part of the Divergent film series. Much like the original film, the soundtrack was beyond stellar (much better than the film IMO). The full soundtrack also features original tunes from Royal Blood, Anna Calvi, ZOHN and, for some reason, Imagine Dragons.
Scarlett Johansson has always had been drawn towards music. She’s done a few covers here and there, as well as a few collaborations. She even released a full album of Tom Waits covers in 2008 called Anywhere I Lay My Head.
Here is she performing with Pete Yorn about five years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCx5sOj7SlA
Recently, we haven’t seen much of her musical talent as she’s been focusing on acting. Until now, that is.
She has formed an electro-pop band with HAIM’s Este Haim, along with Holly Miranda, Julia Haltigan and Kendra Morris, known as The Singles.
In a press release, Johansson says, “the idea was to write super-pop dance music written and performed by girls.”
Johansson cites past successful girl groups like Grimes, the Bangles and the Go-Go’s as the inspiration for this project. “I wanted it to be like those bands: ultra pop but also a little ironic, a little in on the joke,” she said.
The group has recorded their first single together with TV On The Radio and Yeah Yeah Yeahs producer Dave Sitek. You can listen to their upbeat, flirty-sounding track, Candy, here.
If you like what you hear, you can pre-order the single here.
February has been a big month for my favourite sister trio, HAIM. Joining their new best friend, Taylor Swift, on her 1989 World Tour, a Grammy nomination and a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! have seen the sisters being extremely busy, making my hopes for a follow –up to their stellar debut album Days Are Gone rise with each appearance.
Whilst that is still to be announced (please, please, PLEASE make it happen!), that doesn’t mean they’ve stopped making music altogether. Coming together in what is one of this year’s most unlikely collaborations, HAIM have teamed up with none other than Calvin Harris for their latest track, Pray To God.
The track is very Stevie Nicks a la Edge of Seventeen meets TV show Charmed, and the film clip (see below) does little to suppress this comparison with the three ladies wearing outfits probably taken from Nicks’ wardrobe. Wolves, bears, white doves and rabbits appear in snow fields and wooded glens as the girls stare down the camera harmonising beautifully as they always do. Danielle’s voice is impeccable as ever, and is actually surprisingly well suited for the pounding beat and synths.
Obviously more dance oriented thanks to their collaborator, the trademark HAIM sounds are still there and although Pray To God appears on Harris’ album – not theirs – this marks a different direction for the ladies and could suggest them taking influence from this project.
Still no official word on when HAIM’s sophomore album will be out, as Alana told Rolling Stone in a recent interview they were, “Always writing and figuring out new vibes and trying to get our inner Kanyes out.” Here’s hoping those Kanyes are let out sooner rather than later, I need more of this in my life!