All Fans Are Welcome to Become the Additional Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're chatting with Haim?" a text pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There's just a key snag: I also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Several celebrated supporters have openly begged for the position.
The evidence suggests something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're multiple Grammy nominees.
In the tradition of the best groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their music videos frequently feature them marching in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the ultimate honour. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage others to form a group."
"So all gets an invitation to be the honorary Haim sister."
Historic Milestone
The trio have called into home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from 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 nominations every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the nomination resonates with the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge achievement," says Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The record emerged from a phase of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The lyrics detail breakups and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them working out in real life who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to make an effort in blocking the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That newfound resilience demanded a new sound – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drums.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's honesty shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their personal tales.
A former partner ended things with 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.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide audience.
However the sister act will always be their number one priority.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "There is no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."