American sister act Haim -- their name simply taken from the trio's surname -- formed in 2006 after spending their childhood as part of family cover band Rockinhaim. They grew up together in California's San Fernando Valley, where they were brought up listening to Joni Mitchell, the Beatles, Santana, and the sounds of Motown, to name a few of their diverse influences. The three-piece played local venues and crafted their own R&B-influenced soft rock sound until eldest sister Este (guitar/bass) left to study ethnomusicology at UCLA, while middle child Danielle (vocals, guitar) toured with Jenny Lewis and then the Strokes' Julian Casablancas on his solo tour. The youngest of the group, Alana (guitar/keyboard), dropped out of college in her first year to concentrate on the band once Este and Danielle returned. Later, Dash Hutton was installed on drums to complete the band's live lineup.
They began playing shows again and supported acts such as Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Ke$ha, but it wasn't until 2012 that their star quickly began to rise. A successful show at Texas music festival South by Southwest landed them a record deal with Polydor in the U.K., and they subsequently released an EP titled Forever that year. Their polished mixture of Fleetwood Mac-inspired rock, '80s synth pop, and '90s R&B influences such as Destiny's Child garnered attention from blogs and music critics alike that built a feverish hype around the band. The three-piece's popularity in the U.K. swelled on the back of the release of single "Don't Save Me," and at the end of 2012 they became the first female group to win the influential BBC Sound of 2013 award. Following the award, Haim went on to make 2013 their own with sold-out headlining shows and a festival appearance on Glastonbury's main stage. Their debut album, Days Are Gone, was recorded with producers Ariel Rechtshaid (Vampire Weekend, Usher) and James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Florence + the Machine) and arrived in September 2013.
Scott Kerr
AllMusic.com
