Everyone is Invited to Become the Additional Haim Sisters Member.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" a message arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their extra sister."
However, there remains one problem: The author likewise longs to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Several famous admirers have openly coveted the role.
It's clear something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award contenders.
In the tradition of the most iconic groups, they're a close gang. Their music videos frequently feature them walking in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such boundless happiness you find yourself thinking, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That's the biggest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate young girls to make music."
"Therefore anyone are welcome to be the next Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The band are connecting from their homes, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the award.
"I watch the announcements 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 right or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the honor resonates with the band.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major step," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album was born from a period of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The words follow endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in the moment who they are becoming.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to actively work on ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That recent confidence required a fresh approach – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the percussion.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Laughter
The trio's honesty fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating misadventures.
One man left Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through 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 more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their standing in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international fan base.
However the band will always be their top focus.
"We have been playing music since I was little," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still kicking."
