Everyone is Encouraged to Join as the Fourth Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the band?" an inquiry pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There's just a key snag: The sender also wants to be Haim's fourth member. What's more, we are far from alone. A host of famous admirers have openly coveted the honor.
One thing is obvious a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the greatest bands, they're a close unit. Their music videos often depict them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the biggest honor. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to make music."
"And thus everyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Historic Nod
The group have called into home, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now celebrating the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in contention for the prize.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The weight of the nomination isn't lost on the band.
"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant achievement," adds Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The album emerged from a phase of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that odd transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The lyrics detail departures and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That developed toughness called for a fresh approach – more organic and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's honesty shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their personal misadventures.
A former partner left Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of flying 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 hope," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their place in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an worldwide audience.
However the band will forever be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," shares Alana. "There is nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still kicking."
