And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan Ep. 224: HAIM | Do It Your Way. (“I quit", + more)
Today’s guests are HAIM — one of the most unique voices in modern music, known for blending rock, pop, and soul into a sound that defined a generation. From garage band beginnings to Grammy nominations, they’ve collaborated with some of the biggest names in music while staying fiercely true to themselves.
And the writer(s) are... HAIM!
In this episode, we dive into a decade-long journey of grit, growth, and creative conviction — from rejection to recognition. The sisters open up about the early years, the family dynamics, and the lessons that shaped their songwriting and success.
In this episode:
• How HAIM built success on their own terms after years of “no’s”
• The real stories behind their biggest records
• What they’ve learned about songwriting, collaboration, and creative control
Chapters
0:00 Intro Teaser – HAIM’s Gritty Start Against All Odds
0:30 Nobody Wanted to Sign Us – Early rejections that almost stopped HAIM
1:10 The Sister Dynamic – Therapy, tension, and love between bandmates
2:30 Strict Parents, Rebellion & First Gigs
5:00 Leaving for Tour at 19 – Danielle’s leap of faith
7:30 Almost Famous IRL – Touring with Jenny Lewis & Julian Casablancas
9:15 Skipping College & Faking Dentist Notes
12:30 Oldest Sibling Pressure & UCLA Lessons
15:00 Nobody Wanted Rock Music – Breaking through rejection
16:00 Meeting Ludwig Göransson – The producer who changed everything
18:30 2 AM Sessions & the “Forever” EP
20:00 SXSW Madness – 14 shows in 5 days
22:00 The UK Breakthrough – Why British fans got it first
25:10 How They Learned to Write Songs – Lessons from “Rockin’ Haim”
27:00 Recording Songs from the Radio – Childhood obsession that sparked their craft
31:10 The First HAIM Song Ever – From bad demos to “The Wire”
34:10 The 10,000 Hours – Becoming one of LA’s best live bands
35:45 Days Are Gone – Finding their sound amid chaos
38:30 Working with James Ford & Ariel Rechtshaid
40:50 Balancing Chaos and Craft – The HAIM recording process
42:10 Collaborating with Kid Cudi – Their first big studio moment
43:10 Touring Exhaustion & Finding Their Groove
45:15 Shutting Down Ventura Blvd – The iconic “Want You Back” video
47:39 Women in Music Pt. III – Growth & vulnerability
48:30 GarageBand & Songwriting – Danielle’s creative superstition
49:30 The Making of “I Quit” – A new era of HAIM
50:00 Creative Control & Saying No to Labels
52:00 Lessons from Paul Thomas Anderson – Vision & long-take storytelling
Presented by
@NMPA | @nmpaorg – Fighting for songwriters’ rights and fair pay.
Learn more at NMPA.org.
@Splice – The industry’s top royalty-free sample library and creator platform, supporting original artists with world-class sounds and ethical AI tools.
Download Splice and start creating today.
And The Writer Is...
Hosted by Ross Golan
Executive Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad
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