All Fans is Invited to Be the Additional Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're interviewing Haim?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There is only one problem: I also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're in plentiful company. Several famous supporters have publicly begged for the honor.
One thing is obvious something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're repeated Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the greatest bands, they're a close gang. Their music videos frequently feature them marching in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such unfettered joy you inevitably think, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members told us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the biggest honour. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate others to start a band."
"Therefore everyone is invited to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Nod
The group have called into a break, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I watch the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the honor isn't lost on the band.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major milestone," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album came out of a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that strange transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The lyrics follow departures and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to make an effort in blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That newfound toughness called for a new sound – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The band's openness shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.
A former partner left Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an global fan base.
But the band will forever be their primary focus.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was little," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."