The World Are Encouraged to Join as the Additional Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the Haim sisters?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
There's just one problem: The author likewise desires to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Several high-profile fans have publicly petitioned for the role.
One thing is obvious something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are repeated Grammy nominees.
In the tradition of the best ensembles, they're a tight-knit gang. Their visuals frequently feature them marching in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'After your show, I bought a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to make music."
"And thus anyone is invited to be the next part of the family."
Grammy Milestone
The group are connecting from their homes, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The significance of the nomination resonates with the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge step," says Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the women that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The record was born from a time of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The words track breakups and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real life who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That recent toughness called for a new sound – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Humor
The band's honesty shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.
One man left Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Legacy
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international audience.
However Haim will consistently be their primary priority.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was little," says Alana. "There is nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."