The World is Invited to Become the Fourth Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're chatting with the band?" a text arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There's just one problem: I also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are far from alone. Multiple famous supporters have publicly begged for the honor.
One thing is obvious something is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their path doing sets at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy contenders.
In the tradition of the most iconic ensembles, they're a inseparable trio. Their visuals repeatedly show them walking in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such pure joy you can't help but think, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage people to start a band."
"So all gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim."
Historic Nod
The group are speaking from home, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major achievement," says Alana. "But we're just thankful for the women that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The project emerged from a period of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The words detail departures and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real time who they want to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice shutting out the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Music
That developed resilience required a different sonic direction – more organic and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Laughter
The trio's openness fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal misadventures.
A former partner left Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Future
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their standing in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an global fan base.
However Haim will always be their primary commitment.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "There is no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."
