All Fans Are Welcome to Be the Additional Haim Sister.
"When are you interviewing the band?" an inquiry arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There is only one problem: The author likewise desires to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are in plentiful company. A host of celebrated fans have also petitioned for the position.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their music videos often feature them marching in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"How often on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to make music."
"Therefore anyone are welcome to be the next Haim sister."
Award Milestone
The band are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys β with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge achievement," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The album was born from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that unique transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The themes track endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them determining in real time who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That newfound confidence required a new sound β more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The band's candor fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal misadventures.
A former partner ended things 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.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their standing in the music world.
They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an global fan base.
However the band will consistently be their top priority.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was little," shares Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."