All Fans is Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with Haim?" a text arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There's just one problem: The author likewise desires to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. A host of high-profile fans have also coveted the role.
One thing is obvious something is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their path doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Today, they are repeated Grammy nominees.
Like all the best ensembles, they're a close trio. Their visuals frequently feature them walking in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such unfettered joy you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire young girls to form a group."
"And thus all is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The trio are speaking from home, where they're recovering after an major tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the lists 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, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the accolade resonates with the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," continues Alana. "But we're just grateful for the women that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The project was born from a period of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that unique liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The words detail departures and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they want to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to consciously practice blocking the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That developed confidence required a fresh approach – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the percussion.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Humor
The trio's openness fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their dating tales.
A former partner left Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an international following.
However the band will consistently be their primary focus.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."