All Fans Are Invited to Become the Extra Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the Haim sisters?" a text pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There's just one problem: The sender also longs to be Haim's fourth member. What's more, we are far from alone. Several celebrated admirers have openly petitioned for the honor.
The evidence suggests a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at small eateries with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy nominees.
Like all the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their videos repeatedly show them marching in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such boundless joy you can't help but think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'After your show, I bought a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That's the biggest honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire people to start a band."
"Therefore everyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Nod
The group are connecting from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
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 achievement," continues Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The project came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that unique transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The lyrics follow endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they are becoming.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on blocking the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That developed resilience required a fresh approach – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drums.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Collective Camaraderie
The band's candor inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic horror stories.
One man ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Future
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an worldwide fan base.
Yet Haim will consistently be their top commitment.
"We have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."