Everyone Are Encouraged to Become the Fourth Haim Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the Haim sisters?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can become their extra sister."
However, there remains a single issue: The sender also desires to be Haim's newest recruit. And we're not alone. A host of celebrated supporters have also begged for the position.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey doing sets at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the best ensembles, they're a tight-knit unit. Their visuals often feature them striding in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such pure exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "It is the greatest honour. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage others to form a group."
"So all gets an invitation to be the next part of the family."
Award Recognition
The band are connecting from their homes, where they're recovering after an major tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the accolade isn't lost on the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The project came out of a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The words detail endings and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them working out in the moment who they are becoming.
"I love summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on shutting out the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Sound
That developed resilience demanded a different sonic direction – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drums.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The band's candor shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal misadventures.
One man broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their standing in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an global following.
But the band will always be their top focus.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," shares Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."