Everyone Are Encouraged to Become the Extra Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the band?" an inquiry pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."
However, there remains one problem: The sender also wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. And we're far from alone. Multiple famous admirers have publicly begged for the position.
It's clear something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy Award contenders.
Similar to the best ensembles, they're a tight-knit unit. Their videos often feature them walking in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a guitar'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That is the ultimate honour. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage young girls to start a band."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The band are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in consideration for the award.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the nomination resonates with the band.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant milestone," says Alana. "However we're just thankful for the women that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Humour
The album was born from a phase of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that unique transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The themes track endings and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to actively work on blocking the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Sound
That newfound toughness required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drum sound.
"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 subject of our biography," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Laughter
The band's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal horror stories.
Someone ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Path
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an international audience.
However Haim will forever be their top priority.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was little," shares Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still making music."
