Everyone Are Welcome to Join as the Extra Haim Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with Haim?" a message pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There's just one problem: The sender also desires to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are far from alone. Several celebrated supporters have also petitioned for the honor.
The evidence suggests something is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Now they're multiple Grammy Award contenders.
Similar to the greatest groups, they're a inseparable gang. Their videos often depict them marching in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such pure joy you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to form a group."
"Therefore everyone are welcome to be the fourth Haim sister."
Historic Nod
The band are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first female band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the nomination isn't lost on the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major achievement," says Alana. "However we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The album was born from a period of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The lyrics detail breakups and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them working out in the moment who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in shutting out the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That developed confidence called for a new sound – more unpolished and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Humor
The band's candor inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their romantic tales.
Someone ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of flying 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 no light," explains Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Future
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their standing in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an international fan base.
But the sister act will always be their number one priority.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."
