Everyone Are Encouraged to Be the Extra Haim Sisters Member.
"When are you speaking to the Haim sisters?" a text arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There is only a key snag: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Multiple famous admirers have publicly coveted the role.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their path doing sets at small eateries with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.
Similar to the greatest bands, they're a close unit. Their videos often depict them marching in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such boundless exuberance you can't help but think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That is the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage people to form a group."
"And thus everyone is invited to be the honorary Haim sister."
Historic Nod
The band are connecting from home, where they're resting up after an major tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the accolade is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major step," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record came out of a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The themes detail endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they want to be.
"I love summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to make an effort in ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That newfound toughness called for a new sound – more organic and immediate 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 detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Collective Humor
The band's honesty shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal tales.
Someone broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Path
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an international fan base.
However the band will consistently be their primary priority.
"We have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "It's like no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."