All Fans Are Welcome to Join as the Fourth Haim Sister.
"When are you interviewing the band?" a message reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
However, there remains a single issue: I also wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Multiple high-profile admirers have openly petitioned for the position.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're repeated Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the most iconic ensembles, they're a close trio. Their videos repeatedly feature them striding in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such pure happiness you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a guitar'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the biggest honor. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage people to make music."
"Therefore everyone are welcome to be the honorary part of the family."
Historic Recognition
The band have called into home, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first female band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The weight of the nomination is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The album was born from a period of emotional upheaval. 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 start anew.
The themes follow breakups and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I adore summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to make an effort in blocking the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That developed confidence demanded a new sound – more organic and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drums.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Humor
The trio's candor shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic horror stories.
A former partner ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana shared 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 no hope," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Legacy
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their place in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an worldwide following.
Yet the band will forever be their primary commitment.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was a young child," says Alana. "There is nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still going strong."
