All Fans is Welcome to Become the Additional Haim Sister.
"When are you interviewing the band?" a text pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There is only a key snag: I also desires to be the Haims' newest recruit. And we're not alone. A host of celebrated supporters have openly petitioned for the honor.
It's clear something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Now they're multiple Grammy Award nominees.
Like all the best ensembles, they're a tight-knit gang. Their music videos repeatedly depict them striding in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such boundless exuberance you can't help but think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire others to start a band."
"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the next part of the family."
Award Milestone
The band are speaking from their homes, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in consideration for the award.
"I watch the lists every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the nomination resonates with the trio.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge step," says Alana. "However we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The project came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The words follow endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That developed confidence required a new sound – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The trio's openness fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic horror stories.
One man ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Path
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an worldwide audience.
But Haim will forever be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was four," says Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."