All Fans Are Invited to Be the Extra Haim Bandmate.
"When are you chatting with the band?" an inquiry reads. "My request was to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
There's just a key snag: I also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're not alone. A host of famous supporters have publicly petitioned for the honor.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their path playing gigs at small eateries with their parents. Now they're multiple Grammy contenders.
Like all the best bands, they're a inseparable gang. Their visuals repeatedly show them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the biggest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire others to make music."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The trio are connecting from a break, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in the running for the prize.
"I watch the lists every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the accolade is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major milestone," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album was born from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that unique liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The words follow endings and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"I adore description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice ignoring the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That recent confidence called for a different sonic direction – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drums.
"Percussion is such a specific 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 cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's honesty fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their dating horror stories.
A former partner left Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Legacy
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an worldwide fan base.
Yet Haim will always be their primary commitment.
"We have been making music since I was four," shares Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."