The Queens of San Fernando Valley
From The Doors to Joni Mitchell to Etta James, there’s no doubt that Los Angeles has been at the forefront of blossoming some of the greatest artists in music history. One pocket of the city that many musicians have called home throughout the years is the infamous Laurel Canyon, a quaint neighborhood tucked in the mountains of the Hollywood Hills area. Its bluebird-filled air, mid-century modern architecture, and windy roads became a hotspot during the rise of the psychedelic rock movement in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Fast forward to 2007, when the city’s rock n’ roll influences weaved their way into what would become Haim’s sound– an American rock band from San Fernando Valley made up of multi-instrumentalist sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim.
Photo via Haim.
The trio grew up in a home in Valley Village, an area that sits on the valley side along Laurel Canyon. Although venues like the Troubadour and the Roxy were a few exits away, living on the north side of Ventura Boulevard represented the disconnect they felt from the scene– like outsiders looking into a window of all they aspired to be as musicians. In an interview with Variety, Danielle described their upbringing as filled with “suburban angst,” or living on the “wrong side of Hollywood Hills.”
Despite this, nobody else takes as much Valley pride as the Haim sisters. They boldly embrace their Valley Girls title, constantly paying homage to their roots in every aspect of their artistry: walking down Ventura Boulevard in their music video for their 2017 track “Want You Back,” a Crescent Heights shoutout in their song “Los Angeles,” and Alana’s role in the San Fernando Valley inspired film Licorice Pizza. Before they were “Haim,” they formed a group with their parents as kids, calling themselves “Rockinhaim,” and played numerous classic rock covers at charity events in their area.
Since their start, the Haim sisters have been an unstoppable force: breaking down barriers in music for women, becoming Grammy winners, collaborating with names like Kid Cudi and Stevie Nicks, and touring with some of the biggest artists including Taylor Swift, The Killers, and Florence and The Machine. Their most recent album Women In Music Pt. III was released back in 2021, and effortlessly bottled up the feeling of summers in the Valley. It’s filled with an intoxicating grit, unabashedly honest lyricism, and diverse instrumentation including the jazz saxophone and Haim’s signature electric licks. Playing the Hollywood Bowl for the album’s homecoming show felt like the icing on the cake for Haim, let alone it being a sold-out event. While their full dedication and fervor for their craft fully bleeds into their masterful discography and needs no validation, their Bowl performance was the perfect middle finger up to every journalist who has said, “You’ll never get a record deal. A girl rock band, unfortunately, is not something you see.”
Photo via Este Haim.
After over four years of waiting for new music, the sisters have recently resurfaced on social media with a rebrand to tease their upcoming project. Each sister took to Instagram to post a selfie sporting a top with different relationship statuses written in bejeweled lettering across their chests, with Este’s saying “I’M TAKEN,” Danielle’s saying “I’M SINGLE,” and Alana’s saying “I’M ???”
It looks like a Haim takeover is around the corner, and if anyone could do it, it’d surely be our Valley rockstars. As Alana would say, “We are Valley girls through and through!”
