All Fans Are Encouraged to Join as the Extra Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the Haim sisters?" an inquiry arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There is only one problem: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several high-profile supporters have also petitioned for the honor.
One thing is obvious something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.
Like all the most iconic groups, they're a inseparable trio. Their visuals often feature them marching in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members told us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the ultimate honour. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire people to start a band."
"So anyone are welcome to be the next member of Haim."
Award Nod
The group are speaking from a break, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the nomination isn't lost on the trio.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The project was born from a phase of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to let go.
The lyrics follow endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them working out in the moment who they are becoming.
"I love summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That developed toughness required a different sonic direction – 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 drums.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The band's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic horror stories.
One man broke up 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.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Path
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their place in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an worldwide audience.
However the sister act will forever be their primary commitment.
"We have been making music since I was four," concludes Alana. "It's like no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still kicking."