Everyone Are Encouraged to Be the Fourth Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" a text arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There's just a key snag: The sender also desires to be the Haims' newest recruit. And we're not alone. Several celebrated fans have publicly petitioned for the position.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy nominees.
In the tradition of the most iconic bands, they're a inseparable gang. Their visuals frequently feature them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such pure joy you find yourself thinking, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the greatest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire others to start a band."
"So all are welcome to be the honorary member of Haim."
Award Nod
The band have called into their homes, where they're recovering after an major tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in contention for the award.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the accolade is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major step," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record emerged from a phase of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that strange liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The lyrics detail breakups and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real time who they are becoming.
"I adore description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to actively work on blocking the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That newfound resilience required a different sonic direction – more organic and immediate than anything 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 care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's honesty fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic tales.
One man ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the music world.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an global audience.
However the band will forever be their primary focus.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still making music."