All Fans Are Encouraged to Be the Fourth Haim Sisters Sister.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the Haim sisters?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There's just one problem: The sender also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're not alone. A host of famous admirers have publicly begged for the role.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their path doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy nominees.
Like all the greatest groups, they're a close gang. Their videos frequently depict them walking in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such pure happiness you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I got a guitar'," states Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That is the biggest honour. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"And thus anyone are welcome to be the next Haim sister."
Grammy Nod
The group are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in consideration for the award.
"I watch the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the nomination resonates with the sisters.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant step," continues Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The record came out of a time of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that strange in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The themes detail departures and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to make an effort in shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That developed confidence required a different sonic direction – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drums.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Laughter
The band's candor inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.
A former partner ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Legacy
One can easily sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide following.
However the band will forever be their primary commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."