The World is Invited to Become the Additional Haim Member.
"When are you speaking to Haim?" a message pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
However, there remains one problem: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several celebrated fans have publicly begged for the position.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career doing sets at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award nominees.
In the tradition of the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable unit. Their music videos often depict them striding in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members told us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That is the biggest honour. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the honorary part of the family."
Historic Milestone
The band have called into a break, where they're resting up after an major tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first female band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just 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 guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," says Alana. "However we're just grateful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album was born from a phase of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The themes track endings and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them determining in real life who they are becoming.
"I love description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Music
That recent toughness called for a new sound – more organic and immediate 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 care so much about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Humor
The trio's candor fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic misadventures.
A former partner broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their standing in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an international following.
However the sister act will consistently be their top commitment.
"We have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "There is nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still making music."