All Fans is Invited to Be the Additional Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the Haim sisters?" a message reads. "My request was to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There's just a single issue: The sender also desires to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are in plentiful company. A host of high-profile supporters have also coveted the role.
One thing is obvious a special quality is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their career playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the best groups, they're a close gang. Their visuals frequently depict them walking in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such unfettered joy you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That's the biggest honour. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to start a band."
"And thus everyone is invited to be the honorary Haim sister."
Grammy Milestone
The band are connecting from a break, where they're resting up after an major tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in contention for the award.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the accolade is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major achievement," says Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the women that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The lyrics follow breakups and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That newfound toughness demanded a new sound – more organic and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's openness shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal horror stories.
Someone left Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an global audience.
Yet the band will always be their primary priority.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was four," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."
