All Fans is Invited to Be the Extra Haim Sister.
"When are you speaking to the band?" a text pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
However, there remains a single issue: The author likewise longs to be Haim's newest recruit. And we're not alone. Several celebrated admirers have publicly petitioned for the honor.
It's clear something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey doing sets at small eateries with their family. Today, they are repeated Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the best groups, they're a close unit. Their visuals frequently show them walking in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such boundless happiness you can't help but think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the greatest honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"Therefore everyone are welcome to be the fourth part of the family."
Historic Milestone
The group are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album 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 Candor
The album came out of a period of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The themes follow departures and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them determining in the moment who they want to be.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to actively work on ignoring the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That developed toughness required a fresh approach – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's candor shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their personal tales.
One man broke up with Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Legacy
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their position in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an global following.
Yet the band will forever be their top focus.
"We have been performing since I was little," says Alana. "There is no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still going strong."