All Fans is Encouraged to Become the Additional Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their fourth member."
However, there remains a single issue: I also desires to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are far from alone. Several celebrated supporters have openly coveted the honor.
It's clear something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path doing sets at small eateries with their family. Today, they are repeated Grammy Award contenders.
In the tradition of the most iconic ensembles, they're a tight-knit gang. Their videos repeatedly feature them marching in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you can't help but think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a bass'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest honour. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage young girls to start a band."
"Therefore everyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The trio are speaking from home, where they're recovering after an major tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in consideration for the award.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge achievement," says Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The project came out of a phase of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that odd transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The words track endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they want to be.
"I love summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to make an effort in blocking the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That developed resilience demanded a different sonic direction – more organic and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Camaraderie
The band's honesty inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal horror stories.
Someone left Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Path
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an global fan base.
But Haim will consistently be their top commitment.
"We have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still making music."