All Fans is Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Member.
"When are you interviewing Haim?" an inquiry pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There is only a key snag: The sender also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Multiple famous admirers have publicly petitioned for the role.
The evidence suggests a special quality is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy nominees.
Like all the greatest groups, they're a close gang. Their music videos frequently depict them striding in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless happiness you can't help but think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans told us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a guitar'," states Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the ultimate honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to make music."
"Therefore anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth part of the family."
Historic Milestone
The trio are connecting from home, where they're resting up after an major tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the honor is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major step," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The record was born from a phase of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The lyrics detail departures and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I adore summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Sound
That recent resilience demanded a different sonic direction – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on the drums.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Collective Humor
The trio's candor inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their dating misadventures.
One man left Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
An Assured Path
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their place in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an international fan base.
Yet the sister act will forever be their primary focus.
"We have been performing since I was little," says Alana. "There is no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still making music."