Listen up, guys: The three members of Haim play their own instruments and any rumors to the contrary are false. In a new interview with NME, the rock band discussed the constant trolling they receive online, saying they are tired of shutting down online comments that accuse them of pretending while onstage.
In June, NME posted a video clip of the trio performing “My Song 5” at the Governors Ball on Instagram. Immediately, someone commented, “Is it just me or is that bassist just acting?” At the time, Haim responded on their own social media, writing in an Instagram story, “I’m so used to seeing this shit on every fucking video of us playing ever… I’m so over it. Don’t ever say we don’t play our own fucking instruments.”
Now the musicians have reflected further on the situation. “That video came up on my Instagram and I was like ‘Oh My God. that’s such a great video, wow!’” Danielle Haim told NME. “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… 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.”
She added, “It’s just really disappointing because that’s the thing we worked so fucking hard for our whole lives you know.”
Alana Haim also emphasized that the trio have been playing music for almost their entire lives. “We have been a band for 16 years, but we have also been a band since we were children,” she noted. “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 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.”
The musician 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 Haim, who the original comment was directed at, didn’t mince words when speaking with NME. “It’s one thing to talk about the way we look. We don’t care, whatever,” she said. “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.”
Haim will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album, Days Are Gone, this fall with a new reissue of the LP, due out Sept. 29. In addition to the original album, the reissue will feature eight outtakes, including remixes and a demo recording of the album’s “Go Slow.” The sisters also performed Days Are Gone, “front to back, top to bottom,” according to their Instagram, at the Los Angeles venue the Bellwether earlier this week.