Everyone Are Welcome to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Member.
"When are you interviewing Haim?" an inquiry reads. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There's just a single issue: The author likewise wants to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Multiple famous supporters have openly petitioned for the position.
It's clear a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy contenders.
Like all the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their videos repeatedly feature them marching in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the greatest honour. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage young girls to form a group."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Nod
The band are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the nomination resonates with the band.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The album came out of a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The lyrics detail departures and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to make an effort in ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That recent resilience called for a fresh approach – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The band's honesty shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their romantic misadventures.
A former partner left Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Path
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an international audience.
However Haim will forever be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "There is no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."