All Fans Are Encouraged to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're speaking to Haim?" a text arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their extra sister."
There's just one problem: The author likewise wants to be Haim's newest recruit. Furthermore, we are not alone. Multiple celebrated admirers have openly begged for the position.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award contenders.
In the tradition of the greatest ensembles, they're a tight-knit gang. Their music videos repeatedly depict them marching in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such boundless exuberance you can't help but think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the next member of Haim."
Award Recognition
The trio are connecting from their homes, where they're resting up after an major tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first female band ever in contention for the award.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the nomination is deeply felt by the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The project emerged from a phase of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that strange transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The words detail endings and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they want to be.
"I adore summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to consciously practice blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That newfound resilience required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's candor fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their personal tales.
Someone left Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Future
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their position in the industry.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an global following.
Yet Haim will forever be their primary priority.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It's like no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."