All Fans is Welcome to Join as the Additional Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to Haim?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
There's just a key snag: I also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're far from alone. Multiple celebrated admirers have publicly coveted the position.
It's clear something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable gang. Their videos often feature them walking in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such unfettered exuberance you inevitably think, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I got a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That is the biggest honour. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to start a band."
"And thus all is invited to be the next part of the family."
Historic Milestone
The band are connecting from a break, where they're taking a pause after an extensive 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 Grammys – with Haim the very first female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the accolade resonates with the trio.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The album was born from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that strange in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The themes follow departures and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice shutting out the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That newfound toughness demanded a new sound – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drums.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's openness inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their personal tales.
Someone broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an global audience.
However the band will forever be their number one priority.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," shares Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."