Everyone is Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're chatting with Haim?" a message pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a single issue: The author likewise desires to be Haim's fourth member. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple high-profile supporters have openly coveted the position.
One thing is obvious a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy Award contenders.
Similar to the most iconic ensembles, they're a close gang. Their videos repeatedly depict them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the trio. "It is the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire people to start a band."
"Therefore all is invited to be the next member of Haim."
Historic Nod
The group are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the honor isn't lost on the band.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major achievement," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The record was born from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that strange in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The themes follow endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them determining in real life who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That developed toughness called for a different sonic direction – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on the drums.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Collective Laughter
The band's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic horror stories.
A former partner broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Path
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an global audience.
But the sister act will consistently be their primary priority.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."
