All Fans is Welcome to Be the Additional Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the Haim sisters?" a text arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There's just a single issue: I also desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're far from alone. Several celebrated supporters have publicly coveted the role.
One thing is obvious something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy contenders.
Similar to the most iconic bands, they're a close gang. Their visuals often depict them striding in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such boundless exuberance you can't help but think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the biggest compliment. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire young girls to form a group."
"Therefore anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Nod
The trio have called into a break, where they're recovering after an major tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards β with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it kind of 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 right or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the nomination isn't lost on the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant step," says Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the female artists that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Candor
The project came out of a period of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The themes track endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they aspire to be.
"I love description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice blocking the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound toughness demanded a fresh approach β 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.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Collective Laughter
The band's openness fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their romantic misadventures.
Someone broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their standing in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an worldwide following.
However the band will consistently be their primary commitment.
"We have been performing since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still kicking."