All Fans Are Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Sisters Sister.
"When are you interviewing the Haim sisters?" a message reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their fourth member."
However, there remains one problem: The sender also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Several celebrated supporters have openly coveted the position.
It's clear something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Like all the most iconic ensembles, they're a tight-knit unit. Their music videos repeatedly feature them marching in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such boundless exuberance you can't help but think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a bass'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire people to form a group."
"And thus anyone are welcome to be the next member of Haim."
Award Nod
The band are connecting from a break, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the nomination isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major step," continues Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the women that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Candor
The album emerged from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The words detail departures and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That newfound toughness demanded a different sonic direction – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The band's candor inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic misadventures.
One man left Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Legacy
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an global following.
However the sister act will consistently be their number one commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."