Everyone is Encouraged to Join as the Additional Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the Haim sisters?" an inquiry pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their extra sister."
There's just a key snag: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are far from alone. Multiple high-profile admirers have openly coveted the position.
The evidence suggests something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy contenders.
Similar to the most iconic ensembles, they're a tight-knit unit. Their videos repeatedly show them walking in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that fans approached us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "It is the ultimate compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage people to form a group."
"So anyone are welcome to be the honorary member of Haim."
Award Recognition
The group are connecting from a break, where they're resting up after an major tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the nomination isn't lost on the trio.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant milestone," says Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the women that paved the way."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The album emerged from a phase of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that strange in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The themes follow endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they want to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, 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, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That developed confidence called for a new sound – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drums.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'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."
Stories and Collective Camaraderie
The band's openness shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal misadventures.
Someone ended things with Este over a medical concern. 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," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Path
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their position in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an worldwide following.
But the band will always be their number one commitment.
"We have been performing since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still going strong."
