Everyone is Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Sisters Member.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" a text reads. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There's just one problem: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Several famous admirers have openly petitioned for the honor.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the best groups, they're a close trio. Their music videos repeatedly show them marching in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such boundless exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that fans told us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a guitar'," states Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest compliment. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage young girls to form a group."
"Therefore everyone is invited to be the honorary member of Haim."
Grammy Nod
The band have called into home, where they're recovering after an major tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards β with Haim the first all-woman band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge milestone," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the women that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The project was born from a period of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that strange transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The themes detail breakups and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to consciously practice ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That developed confidence required a fresh approach β 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 drums.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Humor
The trio's honesty inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their personal horror stories.
One man ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana shared 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 light," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Future
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their position in the industry.
They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an international following.
Yet the band will always be their number one focus.
"We have been playing music since I was four," shares Alana. "There is no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still making music."