All Fans is Invited to Become the Additional Haim Bandmate.
"When are you chatting with the Haim sisters?" a text pops up. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There's just a key snag: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple famous fans have also begged for the position.
It's clear something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career doing sets at small eateries with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy nominees.
Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable unit. Their videos repeatedly show them walking in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such pure happiness you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a bass'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the ultimate honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage young girls to form a group."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the honorary Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The band are connecting from their homes, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in consideration for the award.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the accolade resonates with the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant step," continues Alana. "But we're just grateful for the women that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The project was born from a period of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The lyrics follow breakups and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real life who they want to be.
"I love summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to make an effort in ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That recent resilience required a new sound – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The band's candor fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal misadventures.
Someone ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Legacy
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their place in the music world.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an global fan base.
Yet the band will forever be their primary focus.
"We have been performing since I was little," concludes Alana. "There is no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still going strong."