Everyone Are Welcome to Join as the Additional Haim Sisters Member.
"When are you interviewing the band?" an inquiry pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There is only one problem: The sender also desires to be the Haims' newest recruit. Furthermore, we are not alone. A host of celebrated supporters have also coveted the honor.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career performing shows at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy contenders.
Similar to the best bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their videos often feature them marching in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered joy you can't help but think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest honour. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to start a band."
"So all gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim."
Award Recognition
The group have called into a break, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in the running for the prize.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the accolade is deeply felt by the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge step," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the women that came before us."
Heartbreak and Humour
The project emerged from a phase of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The lyrics track departures and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they aspire to be.
"I love summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound confidence required a new sound – more unpolished and powerful 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 detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Camaraderie
The band's openness shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their dating horror stories.
Someone left Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
One can easily sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their standing in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an worldwide fan base.
Yet the sister act will forever be their number one commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was four," shares Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."
