Everyone Are Encouraged to Become the Fourth Haim Sisters Member.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to Haim?" an inquiry arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There is only one problem: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're not alone. Several high-profile admirers have also coveted the role.
It's clear something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy contenders.
In the tradition of the most iconic bands, they're a inseparable trio. Their visuals frequently show them marching in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such unfettered exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a bass'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate others to start a band."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth member of Haim."
Award Milestone
The trio are speaking from home, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I watch the lists every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Humour
The project came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The words follow departures and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real time who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Style
That recent confidence required a fresh approach – more organic and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the drums.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Collective Humor
The trio's honesty fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic tales.
One man left Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Legacy
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their place in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an worldwide following.
Yet Haim will always be their primary focus.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was a young child," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still kicking."
