All Fans Are Invited to Join as the Fourth Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a single issue: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several high-profile fans have publicly begged for the role.
It's clear something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path doing sets at small eateries with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the greatest groups, they're a tight-knit unit. Their videos repeatedly show them walking in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless exuberance you can't help but think, "I want 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 drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the greatest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire people to start a band."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim."
Award Nod
The group have called into their homes, where they're recovering 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 Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in consideration for the award.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The weight of the honor resonates with the band.
"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant milestone," adds Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The project was born from a phase of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The lyrics track endings and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice shutting out the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That newfound resilience called for a fresh approach – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Laughter
The trio's candor fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic tales.
Someone left Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture 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 hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their place in the music world.
They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an global audience.
However the band will consistently be their primary commitment.
"We have been making music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "There is no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still going strong."
