All Fans Are Invited to Become the Fourth Haim Member.
"When are you speaking to Haim?" an inquiry arrives. "My request was to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
However, there remains a key snag: The sender also desires to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are not alone. A host of high-profile fans have also petitioned for the honor.
It's clear a special quality is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy Award contenders.
Similar to the greatest groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their videos often show them striding in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such unfettered joy you inevitably think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I got a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate honor. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim."
Grammy Nod
The group are speaking from a break, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The weight of the nomination resonates with the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the women that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album was born from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The words follow departures and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them working out in real life who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Sound
That developed resilience demanded a different sonic direction – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Laughter
The trio's candor shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal horror stories.
One man broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Future
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an worldwide fan base.
However the band will always be their primary priority.
"We have been performing since I was little," shares Alana. "It's like no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."
