Haim: DIY’s July 2017 cover stars revealed!

Hello dear readers, and good news - it’s time for another issue of DIY! And who better to grace our cover, announced on the 4th July, than everyone’s favourite LA sisters!

Haim are gearing up to release their second album ‘Something To Tell You’ this Friday (7th July), and they front our new issue, out on the same day. From playing LA bars sat on stools to mingling with celebrities and popping up in tabloids, it’s clear to see that the past few years have been a whirlwind for Este, Alana and Danielle, and we delve into the story behind ‘Something To Tell You’ and, um, you know, casually playing with Prince on SNL.

“We started playing live as kids,” Alana enthuses, “and that’s the part of being in a band that’s so much fun; you get to run around and play music. It’s a dream. Before ‘Days Are Gone’ I had never really been outside the US!” she adds. “It was a culture shock, like, woah, I’m in places I learned about at…” “Places you see in books!” Este picks up, finishing the sentence. “Talk about a rollercoaster ride, that’s the theme of this interview, a fucking crazy rollercoaster ride!” Alana resumes. “Coming back, we had all those experiences to write about, and to draw from. Really, I think that’s how the record got created,” she says, “because we were lucky enough to tour for so long. That’s all we ever wanted, growing up.”

That whirlwind of touring aside, though, ‘Something To Tell You’ is unmistakably charged with their home city of Los Angeles, too. Returning to The Valley after years away was welcome; not least because it brought Haim closer to their beloved burger-vending West Coast institution In N’ Out. “I have the app on my phone,” announces Este, her pride palpable. “Right now,” adds Alana morosely, “you press it and there’s a sad face, saying sorry.”

Elsewhere in the July issue of DIY, we go bowling with Waxahatchee to dig into the story behind new album ‘Out In The Storm’, a record that moves Katie Crutchfield into the upper echelons of indie-rock songwriting. Grizzly Bear are also releasing a new record this month, and Lisa Wright talks to them about settling into a groove that will see them make records for decades.

Declan McKenna, meanwhile, is just starting, and arrives with his debut album ‘What Do You Think About The Car?’, a record with bundles of energy. It’s a quality that Milk Teeth also possess, and we travel to their hometown of Stroud to get under the skin of one of British punk’s most exciting new prospects, on the eve of the release of their new EP ‘Be Nice’.

In Neu, we talk to the superbly exciting newcomer Nilüfer Yanya, fresh from playing Brixton bloody Academy with Broken Social Scene, alongside the world-wise Lao Ra and punky, brilliant Ten Tonnes.

We also report back from a chaotic (but thankfully not very muddy!) Glastonbury, with Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Royal Blood, The National and bloody loads more giving us some well-needed joy on the anniversary of Brexit.

In reviews, we give verdicts on new records from Lorde, Declan McKenna and of course cover stars Haim, while travelling all over the shop to catch sets at Primavera, Field Day and more, with alt-J also absolutely smashing the O2 Arena with Blaenavon, and Paramore bringing a right royal riot to London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Woah. Deep breath. All this and more is in the new issue of DIY, out this Friday (7th June). It’s available free via stockists across the UK, and readable online. If you’d rather have a copy posted to you in person, you can do so (or subscribe!) below.