Everyone Are Invited to Become the Extra Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a text arrives. "My request was to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
However, there remains one problem: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple celebrated supporters have also petitioned for the position.
The evidence suggests something is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their path playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the best groups, they're a close trio. Their visuals repeatedly feature them marching in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a guitar'," states Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That's the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage people to form a group."
"So everyone are welcome to be the next part of the family."
Historic Recognition
The trio are speaking from a break, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I watch the lists every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the nomination resonates with the trio.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," continues Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The project came out of a phase of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that unique transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The lyrics detail endings and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to actively work on shutting out the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Sound
That developed toughness required a fresh approach – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Humor
The band's candor shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic horror stories.
Someone left Este over a health consideration. Alana shared 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 heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their place in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an worldwide audience.
But the sister act will consistently be their primary focus.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was four," concludes Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still going strong."