All Fans Are Invited to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a text reads. "I wanted to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There is only one problem: I also wants to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several famous fans have also begged for the role.
The evidence suggests a special quality is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at small eateries with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy contenders.
Like all the best ensembles, they're a tight-knit gang. Their videos repeatedly feature them marching in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such unfettered joy you inevitably think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members told us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate compliment. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate people to start a band."
"And thus anyone is invited to be the fourth part of the family."
Award Nod
The band are speaking from home, where they're resting up after an major tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the accolade is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major achievement," continues Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the pioneers that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The project was born from a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The words detail departures and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them working out in real life who they want to be.
"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'."
Development of Music
That recent toughness required a different sonic direction – more organic and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drums.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Laughter
The trio's openness fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their dating horror stories.
One man broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their standing in the industry.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an global following.
Yet the sister act will forever be their primary commitment.
"We have been making music since I was a young child," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still kicking."
