All Fans is Encouraged to Become the Additional Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're chatting with the band?" a message pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
There's just a key snag: I also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are not alone. Several famous fans have also petitioned for the role.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey doing sets at small eateries with their family. Today, they are repeated Grammy Award nominees.
Like all the greatest groups, they're a close unit. Their videos often depict them walking in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such unfettered exuberance you inevitably think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a guitar'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That's the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate people to start a band."
"Therefore everyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The trio have called into home, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in contention for the award.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the accolade isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the women that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The album was born from a phase of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The words track breakups and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they are becoming.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That newfound toughness required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the percussion.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's openness inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their personal horror stories.
A former partner left Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Future
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the music world.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an global audience.
Yet Haim will always be their number one focus.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still making music."