All Fans is Encouraged to Be the Extra Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're chatting with Haim?" a text arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can become their extra sister."
However, there remains one problem: The author likewise desires to be Haim's additional sibling. And we're far from alone. A host of famous supporters have openly begged for the position.
The evidence suggests a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the most iconic groups, they're a close gang. Their visuals often show them marching in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such pure exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a bass'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the ultimate compliment. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate young girls to start a band."
"And thus anyone is invited to be the fourth part of the family."
Historic Milestone
The band are connecting from a break, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very 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 announced," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the accolade resonates with the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major step," continues Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The album was born from a period of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The words track endings and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in ignoring the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound confidence demanded a new sound – more unpolished and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drums.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Shared Laughter
The trio's honesty shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal horror stories.
A former partner left Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Legacy
One can easily sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global audience.
However the band will forever be their primary priority.
"We have been playing music since I was four," says Alana. "It's like no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still making music."