All Fans is Encouraged to Become the Additional Haim Sisters Member.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" a message reads. "I wanted to ask if I can be their extra sister."
However, there remains a key snag: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're not alone. Several high-profile fans have also coveted the honor.
One thing is obvious a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Like all the best groups, they're a close gang. Their music videos repeatedly show them marching in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That is the biggest compliment. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage people to start a band."
"So everyone are welcome to be the next Haim sister."
Award Recognition
The trio have called into their homes, where they're recovering after an major tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now 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 trophy.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the honor resonates with the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge step," says Alana. "However we're just thankful for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record emerged from a time of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The lyrics follow departures and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them determining in the moment who they want to be.
"I adore description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to actively work on ignoring the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That developed resilience demanded a new sound – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's candor inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal horror stories.
Someone broke up with Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to celebrate 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. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Legacy
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their place in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global following.
But the band will always be their primary focus.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still making music."