All Fans Are Welcome to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Sister.
"Any idea when you're chatting with the Haim sisters?" a message reads. "My request was to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There is only one problem: I also longs to be Haim's fourth member. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Multiple famous fans have publicly begged for the honor.
One thing is obvious something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy nominees.
Like all the best bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their visuals often show them striding in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such pure joy you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that fans approached us and said, 'After your show, I bought a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That is the ultimate honor. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate people to make music."
"Therefore anyone are welcome to be the next member of Haim."
Historic Recognition
The trio are connecting from a break, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in consideration for the award.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The significance of the nomination isn't lost on the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the women that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The album emerged from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that unique liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The words track breakups and partings. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them working out in the moment who they want to be.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That developed toughness required a new sound – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Collective Humor
The trio's candor inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic horror stories.
A former partner ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Future
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an worldwide audience.
However the sister act will always be their primary focus.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."