Everyone Are Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Member.
"When are you interviewing the band?" a message reads. "I wanted to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a single issue: The sender also longs to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. A host of famous supporters have publicly coveted the honor.
The evidence suggests a special quality is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Today, they are repeated Grammy nominees.
In the tradition of the best bands, they're a close unit. Their videos repeatedly depict them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the greatest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate people to start a band."
"So anyone are welcome to be the honorary part of the family."
Historic Milestone
The group have called into home, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the honor is deeply felt by the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," adds Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the women that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The record was born from a time of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that strange transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to let go.
The lyrics follow endings and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they are becoming.
"I adore description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Sound
That recent resilience called for a fresh approach – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Laughter
The band's honesty inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal horror stories.
A former partner left Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Legacy
One can easily sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their place in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an global audience.
However the sister act will forever be their primary commitment.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."