STACK #153 Jul 2017

FEATURE MUSIC

Something to Tell You

the songs that became Something to Tell You with producer Rechtshaid (Adele, Beyonce, and Usher), with additional production from Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batamanglij. With Splendour in the Grass now a well- established Australian festival staple , and a regular stop on the global tour circuit for bands launching new albums, Haim are making a highly anticipated appearance this year. They love the Australian festival experience, having played Laneway in 2014., but having graced stages from Coachella to Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, to T in the Park, they are now large scale festival veterans. Although the emphasis on the music on Something to Tell You expresses a great deal of finesse and elegance, Haim are a harder, more confronting proposition live, and a lot of that comes from Danielle Haim’s dirtier-than-you-expect guitar slinging. "We wanted songs that would be fun

The Master, There Will Be Blood ). Fans got an insight into formerly unseen side of the band: they're deep in the song, barely aware of the camera, no crowds, no noise. Los Angeles is a city that can be hard to understand: blindingly commercial and shamelessly glitzy to outsiders, its seemingly endless freeways and suburbs blasted by the sun, traversed only by car. But to the natives, it’s home – a place they know intuitively. Haim grew up in LA, and it’s strange dislocation and eclectic atmosphere have shaped them as people, and as musicians. When they got off the road after years of relentless touring, after faceless hotel rooms in transient towns became 'home', the band landed back in the US with nowhere to live. Their parental home in LA's San Fernando Valley provided a respite from the twilight reality of the road. "After everything we had done, it

The Highlights

Right Now Vocals are the star here, front and centre. Minimal instrumentation that suddenly crashes like a wave on your head, you won’t get the melody out of your ears all day. Ready for You Squeaky clean nu Philly-soul, straight off the dancefloor circa 1976 with harmonies you’ll die for: if Michael Jackson had released this in the early ’00s, it might have resurrected his career. A Little of Your Love Exhilarating electro candy with Big Rock Drums that echo like it’s 1985 and a sneaky harmonies over candy keys that rush along, as they sing ‘you’re just another recovering heart.’

We’re really feeling like strong women right now. Bosses of our own fate, making our own music, not taking sh*t from anybody, writing every word, every chord and every song.

to play live and that people can dance to,” says Danielle. “We love having that big dance party feel at our shows.” There's an inkling of this in the Right Now clip, but her restrained power can also be heard on Nothing's Wrong and You Never Knew, the latter being an effortless, breezy and reflective songwriting collaboration with Atlanta-born, UK-raised Devonte Hynes of The Test Icicles, Lightspeed Champion and now Blood Orange. The track sums up this album in a way: crafted harmonies with sneaky melodies and easy spaces, all permeated by beautiful singing and playing. Haim arrive with not only a new album, but a whole new attitude. They're no longer feeling their way, the learning curve is now

felt nice to be back—to go home and go to my childhood room,” says Danielle. “We rehearsed there every day for seven or eight years, dreaming of playing Saturday Night Live , so to go back there now and is all very surreal.” The siblings bunkered down at chez Haim for several months, re-discovering the songwriting process , and in turn discovering new nuances in their musical relationship. The game-changer came unexpectedly , with a film offer. “It was like a homework assignment,” says Alana, “and that kick-started a song called Little of Your Love. It felt like ‘hey, we still know how to do this! We finally got the ball rolling.” Once that one was done, confirms Danielle, “it kind of opened up the floodgates,” They commenced tracking

long completed. They're road hardened, and if not exactly ready to rock, they're 100% ready to roll. “We’re really feeling like strong women right now,” says Danielle. “Bosses of our own fate, making our own music, not taking sh*t from anybody, writing every word, every chord and every song. “

Something to Tell You by HAIM is out now via Universal Music. Haim play Splendour in the Grass, North Byron Parklands Friday July 21. Sideshow at Enmore Theatre Sydney July 20.

“Sorry, are we rolling? I was waiting for ‘action!’ says Alana Haim, off-camera before Paul Thomas ‘ Boogie Nights ’ Anderson’s intimate, stylish clip for Right Now even begins. The clip captures the band playing live on a studio set with no crowd, and is surprisingly candid, the whole tableau lovingly bathed in blue. Anderson captures the unguarded moments and leaves them in: the odd facial expression, the band loving the fun of banging on drums in fact, enigmatic drummer Dash Hutton remains off camera, a man often heard but rarely seen. “That’s how you f-ing do it’ announce the band, at the end of the video. Right Now with P.T Anderson

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