All Fans Are Welcome to Become the Extra Haim Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" a text reads. "I wanted to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There is only a key snag: The author likewise longs to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are not alone. Several celebrated fans have also coveted the role.
It's clear a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their path performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the greatest bands, they're a inseparable gang. Their music videos repeatedly show them striding in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That's the greatest compliment. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire people to start a band."
"And thus all are welcome to be the honorary member of Haim."
Award Milestone
The trio are connecting from a break, where they're resting up after an major tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the accolade resonates with the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant milestone," says Alana. "However we're just grateful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The album emerged from a phase of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that unique in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to let go.
The words track departures and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to actively work on shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Sound
That recent resilience demanded a fresh approach – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The trio's openness fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic misadventures.
Someone ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate 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," notes Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Legacy
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an international fan base.
But Haim will always be their number one commitment.
"We have been performing since I was little," concludes Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still going strong."
