All Fans is Encouraged to Join as the Fourth Haim Bandmate.
"When are you interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
However, there remains one problem: The sender also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. A host of high-profile fans have also coveted the role.
One thing is obvious a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the best ensembles, they're a close gang. Their visuals often show them striding in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances 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 sisters. "That is the greatest compliment. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to start a band."
"So everyone gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The band have called into a break, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I dreaming'?"
The weight of the nomination is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major milestone," adds Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Humour
The album was born from a period of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that strange in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The themes track departures and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real time who they want to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Music
That newfound toughness required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the drums.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's honesty fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic horror stories.
A former partner ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of flying to celebrate 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," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an international following.
But the sister act will consistently be their top focus.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was little," says Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."
