Everyone is Invited to Become the Extra Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're interviewing Haim?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
However, there remains one problem: I also wants to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Multiple celebrated fans have openly begged for the honor.
It's clear something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are repeated Grammy contenders.
In the tradition of the best ensembles, they're a inseparable trio. Their music videos often show them marching in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such boundless exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That's the ultimate compliment. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate others to form a group."
"So anyone gets an invitation to be the honorary part of the family."
Grammy Milestone
The group have called into home, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the honor resonates with the trio.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge achievement," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The album came out of a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that unique transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The words track endings and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That newfound confidence called for a different sonic direction – more raw and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drums.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Collective Laughter
The band's openness fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating misadventures.
One man left Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their position in the music world.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an worldwide following.
However the sister act will forever be their top priority.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still kicking."
