HAIM talk new album, Philly roots, and why Este might cry on tour

When HAIM’s tour kicks off September 4 at TD Pavilion at the Mann in Philadelphia, it won’t just be the opening night of the tour, it will be a family reunion. Chatting on the WXPN Morning Show, Alana Haim says the city has always been special to them because their mom grew up in the area, and they still visit often.

“Half of the place is going to be filled with just my family,” Alana said to Kristen Kurtis on the XPN Morning Show. “I’ve been informed that they’ve already made their own neon green T-shirts. So it’ll be very easy to find my family in the crowd.”

The sisters – Alana, Este, and Danielle – called in to talk about their new album I Quit, the fall tour, and why the Philly date means so much to them. All three were in high spirits. “We’re so excited. This is the best part of our day,” Este said.

Since releasing I Quit on June 20, the sisters have spent the summer road-testing its songs at festivals and one-off shows, using each performance to shape how the album will come to life on tour. 

“Being able to play these songs that we spent so much time on live for the first time has been the best experience, I think, of our lives,” Alana said. “We’re like, the tour hasn’t even started yet, and we’re already having the best time playing this album live.”

They aren’t revealing who will open the Philly show just yet, but Alana promises it’s someone they’re “very excited” about.

Danielle once again took the lead as the band’s producer, teaming up with Rostam Batmanglij to shape the sound of I Quit. For her, production is about solving a sonic puzzle. “To try to figure out how you put on tape what you hear in your head. I love trying to figure that out.”

She says that’s why she’s been drawn to Rostam’s approach to recording. “His ability to record and make organic instruments sound very unique is my favorite thing about him,” Danielle said. “Every time I hear something that Rostam’s produced, he has such a distinct sound when it comes to mic’ing drums and pianos and stuff. There’s this airy quality.”

The album also marks the first time Este and Alana each take a solo lead vocal, Este on “Cry,” Alana on “Spinning.”

For Alana, stepping into the lead singer role was both exciting and nerve-wracking.

“Honestly, I do not know how Danielle does it all the time. I’ve never been more nervous than recording ‘Spinning.’” The song came from a whirlwind romance. “Me being my Sagittarius self, just falling down a rabbit hole and falling in love immediately… I was like, ‘We’re going to be together forever.’ After writing the song, we broke up three days after.”

Alana laughs now at how quickly the romance unraveled, but says the song’s spirit will carry her through the fall. “I’m going to live in that fun spinning vibe for the whole fall. But it’s hilarious now listening to it because I was so in love. But you know what? Now I’m just in love with the song.”

Este’s challenge is different, she’s bracing for the emotions that might hit when she performs “Cry” live. 

“I’m the resident cryer of HAIM,” Este said. “Maybe it’s the Pisces in me, and maybe it’s getting older. I don’t know what it is, but things just really set me off.” She’s already imagining how it might look on tour. “If that’s one reason for people to come to our show – ‘We want to see Este cry her eyes out’ – buy your tickets now.”

They also hinted at an upcoming collaboration with their idol Stevie Nicks, though details are still under wraps. “She is our fairy godmother,” Alana said. “We love her more than anything on this planet, and we’re just grateful to have her in our lives. So more to come, more to come.”

Before wrapping up, the conversation turned to the support they’ve received from public and community radio.

“There’s been so much music that you guys play where you just play from your heart,” Alana said. “The fact that you guys have played us is the biggest honor of all time. And it’s helped us so much. And made our career.” Danielle added, “To be embraced by the listeners is also such a huge thing to us… we just feel so honored.”

“Let it be known we also love WXPN,” Este said. And WXPN loves HAIM right back.

Tickets to their September 4 show at The Man are available via WXPN’s Concert Calendar.