The World is Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a text reads. "I wanted to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a single issue: I also desires to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. A host of famous fans have publicly petitioned for the position.
It's clear something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy Award contenders.
In the tradition of the best groups, they're a tight-knit unit. Their visuals often depict them walking in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such pure happiness you can't help but think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate honour. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage others to form a group."
"So all are welcome to be the honorary member of Haim."
Grammy Recognition
The group have called into a break, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now celebrating the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys β with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the honor resonates with the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge step," says Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record came out of a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that odd in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The lyrics follow endings and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them working out in the moment who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That newfound resilience demanded a different sonic direction β more organic and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Laughter
The band's honesty inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their dating tales.
Someone left Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global following.
But Haim will always be their primary focus.
"We have been making music since I was four," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still making music."