Emily Lazar handled all the final tweaks, while Bob DeMaa made sure every detail was just right as her assistant.
When you look at how these songs came together, you’ll notice a wild mix of talents—Dave Fridmann was there mixing, and a whole team including Evan Pruett, Joey Messina-Doerning, Kyle Henderson, and Rostam Batmanglij recorded everything. Rostam Batmanglij didn’t just produce and play instruments, he also led as executive producer, while Amir Yaghmai and Haim themselves performed and sang on so many tracks. There’s acoustic guitar played by Rostam, bass from Este, drums by Danielle, and a swirl of electric guitar from Alana, Benji, and Rostam. If you listen closely, you’ll even catch Tommy King on keyboard bass and Rostam on piano and synths.
“Try to Feel My Pain” was put together by Danielle and Rostam, with all three Haim sisters and Rostam writing both the music and lyrics. Este’s bass, Danielle’s drums, and Alana’s electric guitar make the song, and there are some special touches like Henry Solomon’s saxophone and Nathan Kay on trumpet. Rostam added celeste, organ, and Wurlitzer, making things sound really magical.
Fans think it’s cool how everyone in the band gets to do different things on every song.
“Spinning” brings together Danielle, Rostam, and the Haim sisters again for both writing and producing, and the sound gets bigger with Drew Taschine on drums and Este on percussion. There’s a lot of synth and Wurlitzer, plus Danielle and Alana on electric guitar, and Este’s bass holding it all together. Alana even handled the vocal arrangements, which is pretty neat.
“Cry” mixes things up by bringing in Tobias Jesso Jr. to help write, and you can hear Gabe Noel on cello and double bass, Daniel Aged on pedal steel, and Este adding percussion. Danielle plays drums as always, with Rostam on piano, organ, Mellotron, and programming. Este arranged the vocals for this one, and there’s a dreamy layer of synths from Alana and Rostam.
Now, “Blood on the Street” goes for a different vibe, with Joey Messina-Doerning adding some bass synth, and Amir Yaghmai playing lap steel. The usual suspects—Danielle on drums, Este on bass, and Alana and Rostam on electric guitar—are all there, but this time Rostam also sings along with the Haim sisters.
We always wonder how they remember who plays what on every song.
Finally, “Now It’s Time” is a real group effort, with Adam Clayton, Cass McCombs, David Howell Evans, Larry Mullen Jr., and Paul Hewson all joining in on songwriting—kind of wild, right? Danielle and Rostam produced, and Lauren Marquez helped record. Este plays bass and percussion, Danielle is on drums and congas, and Alana and Danielle both play electric guitar. There’s Mellotron, piano, synths, and even more drum programming from Danielle and Rostam, plus Joey Messina-Doerning adds extra guitar.
If you read all these credits, it’s like a huge musical puzzle where everyone fits together in their own special way.
