Everyone Are Invited to Be the Additional Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the band?" a message pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their fourth member."
However, there remains a key snag: The sender also desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're far from alone. Several celebrated fans have also begged for the role.
The evidence suggests something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path performing shows at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy contenders.
Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a close gang. Their videos frequently show them walking in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such boundless happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That is the ultimate honour. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate people to start a band."
"So anyone are welcome to be the next member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The group have called into their homes, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the honor isn't lost on the sisters.
"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge step," adds Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that paved the way."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The project came out of a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The themes follow departures and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them working out in real time who they aspire to be.
"I love description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on shutting out the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Music
That newfound toughness called for a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on the percussion.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'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 right drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's candor inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic horror stories.
A former partner left Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an worldwide audience.
However the sister act will consistently be their number one priority.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still kicking."
