Haim: “Men commenting that we don’t fucking play our instruments is insanity”
Haim have responded to the constant doubt they receive from trolls about not actually playing their instruments when performing.
While chatting with NME about the 10th anniversary reissue of their 2013 debut album ‘Days Are Gone’ and their upcoming headlining slot at this year’s All Points East Festival, the sister trio – consisting of Danielle, Este and Alana Haim – also spoke about the hate they receive about their musicianship.
Back in June, the band played New York City’s Governors Ball Music Festival. In a clip posted to NME‘s Instagram of the band performing ‘My Song 5’, the band received a comment that read: “Is it just me or is that bassist just acting?”
The band replied: “Lol, I can’t believe this shit is still happening.” In a longer post shared on Haim’s Instagram Story, they wrote: “I’m so used to seeing this shit on every fucking video of us playing ever.”
“I’m so over it,” they continued. “Don’t ever say we don’t play our own fucking instruments.”
Now, while discussing the interaction in a new interview with NME, the trio revealed the true extent of the comments over their musical ability that they continue to receive.
“That video came up on my Instagram and I was like ‘Oh My God. that’s such a great video, wow!’,” recalled Danielle. “I think the thing that is really frustrating is… there will be amazing videos of us online playing our instruments really well and I’ll look at our comments [not that we sit and look at comments regularly] and I’ll just be shocked that people are still like ‘They’re not playing,’ ‘That’s not real,’ ‘They’re acting’. It’s unbelievable.
“It’s just really disappointing because that’s the thing we worked so fucking hard for our whole lives you know.”
Music has played a critical role within the sisters’ lives. Before Haim, they were in a band with their parents called Rockinhaim. Their father, Moti Haim, was a drummer and believed that music was important.
– READ MORE: “HAIM reflect on 10 years of ‘Days Are Gone’: “It completely changed our lives”
Alana shared: “We have been a band for 16 years but we have also been a band since we were children. We were in a band with our parents and have been playing since we were kids, so to then be a band for 16 years and and still have to prove ourselves… it never ends.
“It’s like ‘You don’t play your instruments, you don’t write your songs, you’re not a real band’. And it’s like, we’ve been here for 16 years and there’s no stopping yet.”
She continued: “We’re gonna keep going until we can’t fucking play anymore. So to be so proud of the work that we’ve done and then to see mostly men I mean, pretty much all men comment things that are not only just terrible about our looks but then on top of that, that we don’t fucking play our instruments is insanity.”
Este, the band’s bassist who the comment left under NME‘s video clip was aimed toward, weighed in and said: “It’s one thing to talk about the way we look, we don’t care, whatever. But the way we play? I will go toe to toe with whoever, whatever band wants to go toe to toe with me. I know how to play.”
In other Haim news, the band also recently reflected on their experience with The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas during the early days of their career.
“Playing with Julian also taught us so much and taught me so much. Getting to play some Strokes songs in the set like ‘Automatic Stop’ I couldn’t believe it. I was up there like I can’t believe this is my life,” shared Danielle.
The trio have also reissued their debut album in honour of its 10th anniversary.
“We worked our whole lives to put out our first record, So we thought, ‘It’s the 10-year anniversary! Why the fuck not’,” said Danielle. “We also never shy away from an excuse to celebrate,” said Este. “A decade feels like a milestone. It’s pretty crazy.”
They will also be headlining All Points East on August 28, supported by the likes of Girl In Red, Tove Lo and Confidence Man.
Alana told NME: “To play a festival for the people that we love the most, all we want is for everyone to have a good time, to dance and to party. We just want to play every song that they want to hear! They can yell out songs, and we’ll play it. We’re just so excited to play.”
The ‘Days Are Gone’ reissue is set for release on September 29 via Polydor Records and will be available in a variety of formats. You can pre-order the record here and find any remaining tickets for All Points East here.
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Anagricel Duran
NME
