Everyone is Invited to Become the Additional Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the Haim sisters?" a message pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There's just a key snag: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' newest recruit. Furthermore, we are not alone. A host of famous admirers have publicly petitioned for the honor.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their path doing sets at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy nominees.
Similar to the most iconic bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their music videos repeatedly show them striding in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a guitar'," states Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the ultimate honor. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to make music."
"Therefore everyone gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Nod
The group are speaking from a break, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in the running for the prize.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the accolade isn't lost on the sisters.
"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major step," says Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The project emerged from a phase of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The lyrics follow departures and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they want to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says 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'."
Evolution of Sound
That developed toughness called for a fresh approach – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Collective Laughter
The band's candor fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their dating misadventures.
One man ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
An Assured Path
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the music world.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an global following.
Yet the band will consistently be their top priority.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was a young child," says 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 kicking."
