Everyone is Welcome to Join as the Fourth Haim Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're chatting with the band?" a message arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There's just a key snag: I also desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are not alone. Several famous fans have publicly petitioned for the position.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're repeated Grammy Award hopefuls.
Similar to the best ensembles, they're a inseparable gang. Their videos often depict them marching in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a bass'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That's the ultimate honor. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire young girls to form a group."
"And thus everyone is invited to be the next Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The trio have called into their homes, where they're recovering after an major tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now celebrating the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant step," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The album emerged from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that strange transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The themes detail breakups and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I adore summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to make an effort in ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That newfound confidence demanded a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Collective Laughter
The band's candor fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their romantic misadventures.
A former partner ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Path
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their standing in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an global following.
Yet Haim will forever be their primary priority.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was little," says Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."
