Haim are no strangers to selling out arenas or dropping hooks with bite, but when it comes to being embraced by the rock world, that’s apparently still a no-go.
In a new GQ interview ahead of their fourth album I Quit (out June 20), the LA sister trio—Alana, Danielle, and Este—laid out exactly why they think the gatekeeping persists.
Spoiler: it’s not about the music.
According to the band, it’s the fact they dare to move onstage. “Even though we’re a rock band, we love movement,” said Danielle. “Prince danced,” Este reminded everyone. “Talking Heads—movement,” Alana added, as if it should be obvious. But apparently, the sight of three women playing their instruments and having the audacity to look like they’re enjoying themselves is still too much for the genre’s self-appointed purists.
Clips of the band dancing during songs like “I Know Alone” regularly trigger a wave of neckbeards questioning their legitimacy. Este doesn’t hold back: “It’s always a guy,” she said, referencing the familiar accusations about unplugged gear. “It’s like, my dog, we’re playing with wireless. Are you a fucking idiot?” No lies detected.
The core issue is the fact that rock, for all its performative rebellion, still clings to some painfully outdated rules. Especially when it comes to women. “We love to dance and we love to make people laugh, and for some reason that’s a no-go,” Alana explained. “I think it’s all quite antiquated,” added Este. “We quit caring about that shit.”
In other words, they’re done seeking validation from a scene still trying to decide if fun disqualifies you from being “authentic.” Haim play sold-out arenas, release solid records, and literally give zero fucks about whether the old guard signs off on their groove.
Maybe it’s time the rock world caught up or really, just got out of the way. I Quit might be the name of the album, but Haim clearly aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. –
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