All Fans is Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're chatting with Haim?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There is only a single issue: I also longs to be Haim's fourth member. And we're not alone. A host of celebrated admirers have openly coveted the role.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy Award hopefuls.
Similar to the greatest groups, they're a inseparable unit. Their videos often show them striding in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," says Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That's the greatest compliment. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage people to start a band."
"Therefore everyone gets an invitation to be the next member of Haim."
Grammy Nod
The group are connecting from a break, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the nomination isn't lost on the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "But we're just thankful for the women that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Candor
The record came out of a period of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that strange transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The themes track breakups and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I adore description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to make an effort in blocking the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound resilience required a fresh approach – more organic and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the drum sound.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's honesty inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic misadventures.
One man ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Legacy
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an international following.
But the band will always be their primary priority.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."