All Fans Are Invited to Be the Fourth Haim Sisters Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the band?" a text reads. "I wanted to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a key snag: I also desires to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are not alone. Several celebrated fans have openly begged for the role.
One thing is obvious something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their path doing sets at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award contenders.
In the tradition of the most iconic groups, they're a inseparable unit. Their visuals repeatedly show them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such unfettered happiness you find yourself thinking, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That is the biggest honour. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to form a group."
"Therefore anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth part of the family."
Historic Nod
The band are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in the running for the prize.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the accolade resonates with the band.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The project came out of a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that unique transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The words detail breakups and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real time who they want to be.
"I adore description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to consciously practice ignoring the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Sound
That newfound confidence required a new sound – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the percussion.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The band's honesty inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal tales.
A former partner broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Future
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their place in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an international audience.
But the band will forever be their primary focus.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."