All Fans Are Invited to Join as the Additional Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're chatting with the band?" a text reads. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."
However, there remains one problem: I also longs to be Haim's fourth member. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Multiple celebrated fans have also begged for the role.
The evidence suggests a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are repeated Grammy contenders.
Similar to the best ensembles, they're a close trio. Their music videos frequently show them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such boundless happiness you inevitably think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans approached us and said, 'After your show, I got a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the greatest honour. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire people to form a group."
"Therefore everyone is invited to be the next Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The band are connecting from their homes, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in contention for the award.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the honor is deeply felt by the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant step," adds Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the pioneers that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The record came out of a phase of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that odd liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The themes detail endings and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real time who they want to be.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to make an effort in shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That developed toughness demanded a different sonic direction – more organic and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the percussion.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's honesty shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their personal tales.
A former partner left Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Legacy
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their position in the music world.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an global audience.
Yet the sister act will consistently be their top priority.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was a young child," says Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still kicking."
