All Fans Are Welcome to Be the Extra Haim Sisters Member.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can be their extra sister."
There's just a single issue: I also desires to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're not alone. Multiple high-profile supporters have openly coveted the position.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy Award contenders.
Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a close unit. Their visuals frequently feature them walking in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That is the greatest honour. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"And thus all gets an invitation to be the fourth member of Haim."
Historic Recognition
The group have called into home, 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-woman band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it sort of 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 right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the nomination resonates with the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major milestone," says Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the female artists that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album was born from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that odd liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The words follow endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them determining in real time who they aspire to be.
"I love description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That developed confidence called for a different sonic direction – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's openness inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their personal horror stories.
One man broke up with Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Path
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an global audience.
But the sister act will forever be their top priority.
"We have been playing music since I was a young child," says Alana. "There is nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still kicking."