Everyone Are Encouraged to Join as the Fourth Haim Sisters Sister.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the Haim sisters?" a message reads. "I wanted to ask if I can become their fourth member."
However, there remains a single issue: The author likewise longs to be Haim's fourth member. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Several high-profile admirers have publicly petitioned for the role.
One thing is obvious something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their path playing gigs at small eateries with their parents. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy contenders.
Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable gang. Their visuals repeatedly show them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such unfettered joy you can't help but think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to start a band."
"So all is invited to be the honorary Haim sister."
Grammy Milestone
The trio have called into home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in the running for the award.
"I follow the lists every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the accolade resonates with the trio.
"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major step," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The record came out of a phase of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to let go.
The themes track breakups and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them working out in the moment who they want to be.
"I love description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That developed toughness demanded 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 started with the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The band's openness fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their dating horror stories.
One man ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their standing in the industry.
They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide fan base.
But the band will forever be their top priority.
"We have been playing music since I was little," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."