Everyone Are Welcome to Become the Extra Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There's just a single issue: I also desires to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Multiple celebrated fans have also begged for the role.
One thing is obvious something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the most iconic bands, they're a tight-knit unit. Their visuals often depict them walking in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such boundless exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That's the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage others to start a band."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth member of Haim."
Award Recognition
The band are connecting from their homes, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the accolade resonates with the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major milestone," adds Alana. "But we're just grateful for the female artists that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Humour
The album emerged from a period of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The words track departures and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real time who they are becoming.
"I love description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That newfound confidence required a new sound – more organic and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's openness fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal horror stories.
Someone broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, 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 Legacy
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an international fan base.
But the band will always be their number one commitment.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was four," shares Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."