All Fans is Encouraged to Join as the Extra Haim Bandmate.
"When are you speaking to the band?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
There is only one problem: I also desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several high-profile admirers have also begged for the honor.
The evidence suggests a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the greatest bands, they're a tight-knit trio. Their visuals often feature them marching in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a bass'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "It is the ultimate compliment. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to start a band."
"And thus all are welcome to be the next member of Haim."
Grammy Nod
The trio are speaking from home, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it sort of 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 importance of the nomination isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," continues Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The project emerged from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that unique transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The themes follow endings and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them determining in real life who they aspire to be.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to make an effort in blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Style
That recent toughness called for a different sonic direction – more organic and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating misadventures.
Someone broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an global following.
But the sister act will always be their number one focus.
"We have been making music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "There is no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still kicking."