All Fans is Invited to Join as the Extra Haim Member.
"When are you speaking to the Haim sisters?" a message pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
However, there remains a key snag: I also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're not alone. Multiple famous supporters have publicly petitioned for the honor.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their path performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy Award contenders.
In the tradition of the best bands, they're a close gang. Their visuals often depict them striding in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such boundless happiness you find yourself thinking, "I want to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the ultimate compliment. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to start a band."
"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Award Nod
The group are speaking from their homes, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I follow the lists every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the honor is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major step," adds Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The project was born from a time of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The themes track endings and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to make an effort in ignoring the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Sound
That recent resilience called for a fresh approach – more unpolished and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's honesty inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their dating misadventures.
A former partner ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend 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 only darkness," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an global following.
Yet the sister act will always be their primary commitment.
"We have been performing since I was a young child," shares Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still kicking."