Everyone Are Encouraged to Become the Extra Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the band?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There's just a single issue: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're not alone. Multiple high-profile supporters have publicly petitioned for the role.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the most iconic bands, they're a tight-knit unit. Their videos frequently show them walking in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such unfettered exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members told us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a guitar'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the biggest compliment. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"So everyone are welcome to be the next Haim sister."
Grammy Nod
The band are connecting from a break, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in contention for the award.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the nomination is deeply felt by the band.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major achievement," continues Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the women that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The record came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The lyrics follow breakups and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them working out in real life who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That newfound toughness demanded a different sonic direction – more organic and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drums.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The band's candor inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their dating tales.
Someone broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their position in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an worldwide fan base.
Yet the band will always be their top priority.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."
