Everyone Are Invited to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"When are you speaking to Haim?" a text arrives. "My request was to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
There is only a key snag: The sender also wants to be Haim's newest recruit. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple famous supporters have publicly coveted the role.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're multiple Grammy Award contenders.
Like all the greatest groups, they're a inseparable unit. Their visuals frequently depict them marching in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such boundless happiness you can't help but think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the greatest honour. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"Therefore anyone is invited to be the fourth part of the family."
Historic Milestone
The group are connecting from home, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in the running for the prize.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the nomination isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge achievement," adds Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the female artists that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album came out of a phase of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that unique in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The lyrics follow endings and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they want to be.
"I love description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to make an effort in blocking the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That newfound resilience demanded a fresh approach – more raw and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drums.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The trio's candor fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic horror stories.
Someone left Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend 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 only darkness," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Legacy
One can easily sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an worldwide fan base.
But the sister act will forever be their top focus.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was little," 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 making music."