Everyone Are Encouraged to Become the Extra Haim Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the band?" a text arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a key snag: I also longs to be Haim's fourth member. What's more, we are far from alone. Several famous admirers have openly coveted the position.
One thing is obvious something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the most iconic ensembles, they're a inseparable trio. Their music videos often feature them marching in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such pure happiness you find yourself thinking, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members told us and said, 'After your show, I bought a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the greatest compliment. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage others to make music."
"Therefore everyone are welcome to be the honorary Haim sister."
Award Nod
The group have called into a break, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in the running for the prize.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the accolade is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge step," adds Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the female artists that came before us."
Heartbreak and Humour
The album emerged from a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The words detail endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they want to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That newfound confidence called for a new sound – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the percussion.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Laughter
The band's honesty fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their personal misadventures.
One man 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.
"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Legacy
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their place in the industry.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an international following.
Yet Haim will always be their number one priority.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still making music."
