The World is Encouraged to Join as the Additional Haim Member.
"When are you speaking to the Haim sisters?" a message pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There is only a single issue: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Multiple famous supporters have also begged for the honor.
It's clear a special quality is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the greatest bands, they're a tight-knit unit. Their videos often show them striding in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such pure joy you can't help but think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a guitar'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That's the biggest honour. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to start a band."
"So all are welcome to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The group are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The significance of the accolade resonates with the trio.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the female artists that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Humour
The record was born from a phase of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that unique in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The words track breakups and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they aspire to be.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound toughness required a new sound – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The band's openness shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic misadventures.
Someone broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Path
One can easily sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an international audience.
However the band will consistently be their number one priority.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was little," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still kicking."