All Fans Are Encouraged to Become the Extra Haim Sisters Sister.
"When are you interviewing the band?" an inquiry reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
However, there remains a single issue: I also longs to be the Haims' newest recruit. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Multiple celebrated admirers have also begged for the position.
The evidence suggests something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy nominees.
Similar to the greatest groups, they're a tight-knit unit. Their music videos frequently feature them striding in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you inevitably think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls told us and said, 'After your show, I bought a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "It is the ultimate compliment. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage others to make music."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the next member of Haim."
Award Nod
The group are connecting from a break, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first female band ever in contention for the award.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the accolade isn't lost on the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major milestone," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album came out of a period of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that unique in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The words detail endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them determining in the moment who they want to be.
"I love description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound 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 was founded on the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Laughter
The trio's candor fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic misadventures.
Someone broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Legacy
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an international following.
However the sister act will consistently be their number one commitment.
"We have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."