Everyone is Encouraged to Join as the Additional Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the band?" an inquiry pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
There's just a single issue: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Several high-profile fans have also coveted the position.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the best ensembles, they're a inseparable gang. Their visuals repeatedly depict them walking in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such unfettered joy you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a guitar'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the greatest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to start a band."
"So anyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Nod
The group are speaking from their homes, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in contention for the prize.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the accolade is deeply felt by the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge milestone," says Alana. "But we're just grateful for the women that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The record was born from a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The themes detail breakups and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in shutting out the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Sound
That recent toughness demanded a fresh approach – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drums.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The band's candor inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their dating tales.
A former partner broke up with Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Path
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their place in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an global audience.
Yet the sister act will consistently be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," shares Alana. "There is no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still kicking."
