All Fans Are Encouraged to Become the Extra Haim Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the Haim sisters?" an inquiry reads. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
However, there remains one problem: I also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are not alone. A host of celebrated admirers have also begged for the honor.
The evidence suggests a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the best bands, they're a tight-knit unit. Their music videos frequently show them striding in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such unfettered exuberance you can't help but think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans approached us and said, 'After your show, I got a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That's the greatest honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire people to form a group."
"So anyone is invited to be the next part of the family."
Grammy Nod
The band are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first female band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I watch the lists every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the nomination isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant step," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The project came out of a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that strange in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The words track endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they aspire to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to make an effort in blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That recent resilience demanded a different sonic direction – more organic and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The trio's candor inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their personal misadventures.
Someone broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Path
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an global audience.
But Haim will always be their primary priority.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was little," says Alana. "There is no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."