Everyone Are Invited to Become the Additional Haim Sisters Sister.
"Any idea when you're speaking to Haim?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can become their fourth member."
However, there remains a key snag: The sender also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are far from alone. A host of high-profile fans have publicly coveted the honor.
It's clear a special quality is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career playing gigs at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multi-time Grammy contenders.
Like all the best groups, they're a inseparable unit. Their videos often depict them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless joy you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a bass'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "It is the greatest honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to form a group."
"So everyone gets an invitation to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The group have called into a break, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it almost 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 hallucinating'?"
The importance of the nomination isn't lost on the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major milestone," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Humour
The project emerged from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that strange in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The themes track departures and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they want to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to actively work on shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That newfound resilience called for a fresh approach – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The trio's candor inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal tales.
A former partner ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana shared 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 heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Legacy
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global audience.
Yet the sister act will always be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was little," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."
