All Fans Are Invited to Be the Additional Haim Sisters Member.
"When are you interviewing Haim?" an inquiry pops up. "My request was to ask if I can be their fourth member."
However, there remains one problem: The author likewise wants to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are far from alone. A host of high-profile admirers have openly petitioned for the role.
One thing is obvious something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their family. Now they're multiple Grammy nominees.
Similar to the best groups, they're a inseparable gang. Their music videos repeatedly depict them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered exuberance you can't help but think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a bass'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage people to make music."
"Therefore anyone is invited to be the next Haim sister."
Award Recognition
The trio have called into a break, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the very first female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the nomination resonates with the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge milestone," says Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The album emerged from a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The themes track breakups and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound confidence demanded a fresh approach – more organic and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's openness inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their personal horror stories.
A former partner left 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.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Path
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an global following.
But the sister act will always be their number one commitment.
"We have been performing since I was little," concludes Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still making music."