SXSW 2012 was perhaps most notable for its lack of a break-out star, that one artist or band who is suddenly catapulted to instant buzz status. Countless new bands must have lost count of the showcases they played whilst revellers spent their time eating BBQ and watching the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z playing glorified TV adverts.
However, if one band have seen their stock rise after the annual Texan sojourn then surely it is HAIM - a trio of sisters from LA who combine acoustic folk tendencies with a clear love for all things R'n'B. Now, we don't think Aaliyah would have been better off ditching Timbaland for a camping trip in the woods but if she had, then the sounds of HAIM's 'Better Off' may well have been the results. Alternatively, they sound like a more straight forward, accessible version of what Dirty Projectors have spent the past few years doing, cleaning up the beardy cheeks of folk with sleek production and clever use of space.
HAIM (caps lock not optional) are Este, Danielle and Alana. They have a male drummer, Dash Hutton, and call themselves 'three sisters and a mister'. Danielle has played guitar for the likes of Cee-lo Green, and Julian Casablancas with HAIM having supported the Strokes frontman on tour as well as playing with the mixed bag of Cold War Kids, Ke$ha, No Age and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
The band will be bringing their melting pot of influences to the UK in May for a show at The Great Escape but in the meantime you can stream their 3 track EP 'Forever' (+ a Dan Lissvik remix) below, or download it in full for the price of one e-mail address.
