Everyone is Encouraged to Join as the Extra Haim Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a text pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
There is only one problem: I also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are not alone. Multiple high-profile admirers have also coveted the role.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy hopefuls.
In the tradition of the greatest groups, they're a tight-knit trio. Their videos repeatedly show them striding in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a guitar'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the greatest honour. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage people to form a group."
"Therefore all are welcome to be the fourth part of the family."
Award Recognition
The group are speaking from a break, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the first female band ever in the running for the award.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the honor resonates with the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," says Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album emerged from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The themes track endings and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they want to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That recent resilience demanded a fresh approach – more unpolished and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began 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 name of our book," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The trio's honesty fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating tales.
One man broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Future
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their position in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international audience.
However the band will forever be their primary priority.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."