Este Arielle Haim (born March 14, 1986) is an American musician. She is best known as a member of the pop-rock trio Haim, which Este formed with her younger sisters Alana and Danielle. Este is Haim's bass player and a vocalist. She co-writes all of Haim's songs.
Since 2021, Haim has composed scores for film and television. She acted as a music consultant for season 2 of HBO's The White Lotus.[1] In 2023, Haim acted as the executive music producer for the mini-series A Small Light.[2]
Early life
Haim grew up in the San Fernando Valley, California[3] and studied at LA County's High School For The Arts.[4] Her family is Jewish, though they do not describe themselves as religious.[5] Haim's father, Mordechai "Moti" Haim, is an Israeli-born retired professional soccer player who moved to the United States in 1980.[6] Her mother, Donna Rose, is a former elementary school art teacher from Philadelphia.[7] Haim's paternal grandmother was originally from Bulgaria.[8]
The Haim sisters were taught to play instruments from an early age by their parents,[9] with Haim being encouraged to learn bass guitar by her father.[10] She has described being influenced by bassist Tina Weymouth, after her father showed her the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense.[11] Donna, Moti, and their children formed a family band, performing covers for charity gigs and at children's hospitals.[12]
The band Haim formed in 2006 and played their first show in 2007. They released their first EP Falling as a free download on their website[13] after meeting producer Ludwig Göransson.[14] Their critically acclaimed debut album Days Are Gone was released in 2013,[15] followed by their sophomore album Something to Tell You in 2017.[16] Haim's third album Women in Music Pt. III was issued in June 2020, after the band postponed its release due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]
In 2021, Haim composed the score for the Netflix limited series Maid. She became involved in the project through a friend who was executive producing the show.[18][19] Haim collaborated with Christopher Stracey, a member of the electronic duo Bag Raiders. While Christopher produced and played synth-based sounds, Haim played most of the instruments.[20] While working on the music for Maid, Haim and Christopher were approached to score the film Cha Cha Real Smooth.[18]
Haim wrote original music for the Netflix teen movie Do Revenge. She collaborated with composer Amanda Yamate.[21]
Haim served as music consultant for season 2 of the HBO series The White Lotus after being invited to the set by her friend Dave Bernad.[22] Bernad executive produced the series, and asked Haim to work on the show after observing her interactions with actress Beatrice Granno.[22]
Haim hosted the pop culture and music podcast That Thing I Do with actor Darren Criss. One series of the podcast was released in 2021.[23] In 2022, Haim appeared in the film Licorice Pizza, which her sisters and parents also starred in.[24]
Haim was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age fourteen, during her first year of high school.[27][28] In interviews, she has discussed the challenges of managing diabetes as a touring musician.[28] When the band first performed at Glastonbury Festival, Haim fainted after taking insulin when she hadn't had an opportunity to eat.[29][30] In 2018, Haim was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease.[15] She has since started wearing a continuous glucose monitor which she credits with transforming how she manages her diabetes.[31]
Artistry
Haim is a multi-instrumentalist who plays bass guitar, drums and guitar.[20] Haim's main instrument is a 1975 Fender Precision Bass.[32] Her first bass was a Fender Jazz Precision, which she purchased herself after saving up her allowance.[33] Haim prefers to play without a pick and rarely uses effects.[33][14] Bass Magazine described her style as diverse, "which allows her to both play for the song and play for the bass, at all times".[34]
Haim, as Este, is name-checked in the Taylor Swift song No Body, No Crime, which tells the story of avenging a murder.[37] Swift named the song's character after her because she knew that she would be excited to be included in a murder-mystery track.[38]