All Fans is Encouraged to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Sister.
"When are you chatting with the band?" an inquiry arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There's just one problem: The author likewise desires to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are in plentiful company. A host of celebrated supporters have also begged for the honor.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multi-time Grammy contenders.
Similar to the greatest bands, they're a close trio. Their music videos often feature them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such boundless happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That is the greatest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire people to form a group."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the honorary part of the family."
Historic Milestone
The band are connecting from a break, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in contention for the award.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the accolade isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge milestone," says Alana. "But we're just thankful for the women that came before us."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The record came out of a period of personal change. All three sisters found themselves 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 words follow endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they aspire to be.
"I love summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That newfound confidence required a fresh approach – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on the percussion.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's honesty shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their personal horror stories.
A former partner broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Legacy
One can easily sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an international following.
However Haim will consistently be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still making music."
