All Fans is Encouraged to Join as the Additional Haim Sisters Sister.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the band?" an inquiry arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There is only a single issue: The sender also longs to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. A host of high-profile fans have openly petitioned for the honor.
It's clear a special quality is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are repeated Grammy Award nominees.
In the tradition of the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable trio. Their music videos frequently show them marching in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such pure joy you can't help but think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'After your show, I got a guitar'," states Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "It is the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire people to start a band."
"And thus everyone is invited to be the next part of the family."
Historic Recognition
The band are speaking from a break, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards β with Haim the first all-woman band ever in the running for the award.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the accolade is deeply felt by the band.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Humour
The album came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The lyrics detail breakups and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in real time who they want to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to make an effort in blocking the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That newfound confidence demanded a fresh approach β more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drum sound.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Laughter
The trio's candor inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic horror stories.
One man broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these breakups, 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."
A Confident Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their standing in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global audience.
Yet Haim will forever be their primary focus.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."
