Everyone Are Invited to Become the Fourth Haim Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the band?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can become their fourth member."
However, there remains one problem: I also desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're far from alone. A host of celebrated fans have also coveted the honor.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy contenders.
In the tradition of the best ensembles, they're a inseparable trio. Their videos often feature them walking in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered exuberance you can't help but think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the greatest honor. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire people to start a band."
"And thus everyone are welcome to be the honorary Haim sister."
Grammy Milestone
The band are speaking from home, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in the running for the award.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the nomination resonates with the trio.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record emerged from a phase of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The words detail endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I love summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to actively work on shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Sound
That newfound toughness required a fresh approach – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drums.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Laughter
The band's honesty shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.
Someone broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their standing in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an international fan base.
Yet the band will always be their primary priority.
"We have been making music since I was four," concludes Alana. "It's like no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still making music."
