All Fans Are Welcome to Join as the Fourth Haim Member.
"When are you interviewing Haim?" a text reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
There is only a key snag: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are far from alone. Several celebrated fans have openly petitioned for the role.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy Award contenders.
Like all the greatest groups, they're a tight-knit trio. Their music videos frequently depict them walking in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such boundless happiness you can't help but think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a bass'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That is the greatest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"Therefore everyone is invited to be the honorary Haim sister."
Grammy Milestone
The band have called into home, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in contention for the prize.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The significance of the honor isn't lost on the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major step," continues Alana. "But we're just grateful for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The project was born from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The words follow endings and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in real time who they are becoming.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to actively work on ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That recent confidence required a new sound – more organic and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The band's candor fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their dating misadventures.
A former partner left Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their standing in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an international audience.
Yet Haim will consistently be their top priority.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still kicking."