All Fans Are Encouraged to Be the Fourth Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the Haim sisters?" a text pops up. "My request was to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There is only one problem: The author likewise longs to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are in plentiful company. A host of celebrated supporters have openly petitioned for the honor.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award nominees.
In the tradition of the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable gang. Their visuals frequently feature them marching in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such boundless happiness you inevitably think, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the greatest honor. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire others to start a band."
"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the honorary Haim sister."
Grammy Nod
The band are connecting from a break, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in support of their new 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-female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the accolade isn't lost on the band.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major achievement," says Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the women that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The record was born from a time of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The themes detail endings and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them determining in real time who they want to be.
"I love description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to make an effort in ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That developed toughness required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The trio's openness shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal horror stories.
Someone left Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Future
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an worldwide fan base.
Yet the band will always be their top focus.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still kicking."