All Fans Are Encouraged to Join as the Additional Haim Sisters Sister.
"When are you chatting with the Haim sisters?" a message reads. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
However, there remains one problem: I also desires to be Haim's fourth member. What's more, we are in plentiful company. A host of high-profile supporters have openly petitioned for the role.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their career playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the best groups, they're a close trio. Their music videos repeatedly show them walking in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls told us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a guitar'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest honor. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate others to start a band."
"Therefore anyone are welcome to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The trio have called into home, where they're recovering after an major tour in support of their latest 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 first all-woman band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I watch the lists every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the accolade resonates with the trio.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major milestone," continues Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The album was born from a period of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that strange transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The themes detail departures and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them determining in real time who they aspire to be.
"I adore description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to actively work on ignoring the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That newfound toughness demanded a different sonic direction – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Laughter
The band's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating tales.
One man broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Future
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the music world.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an worldwide following.
But the band will always be their primary commitment.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was little," says Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still making music."
