All Fans Are Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" a text pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a key snag: The sender also longs to be Haim's newest recruit. Furthermore, we are not alone. A host of high-profile fans have publicly petitioned for the position.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the best bands, they're a close gang. Their music videos frequently show them walking in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless exuberance you inevitably think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a guitar'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the biggest honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to start a band."
"So all is invited to be the fourth Haim sister."
Award Nod
The group are connecting from home, where they're resting up after an major tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The project emerged from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that unique transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to let go.
The lyrics detail endings and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they are becoming.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That recent toughness called for a fresh approach – more organic and direct than any of the music 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 focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Humor
The trio's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic misadventures.
Someone left Este over a medical concern. Alana told 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 setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Path
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their place in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an international fan base.
But the sister act will consistently be their primary commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still kicking."