The World Are Invited to Join as the Fourth Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to Haim?" an inquiry arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There is only a key snag: The author likewise desires to be Haim's fourth member. And we're not alone. A host of famous admirers have openly petitioned for the role.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the best ensembles, they're a close gang. Their visuals repeatedly feature them striding in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a bass'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the ultimate honor. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage others to start a band."
"So everyone are welcome to be the next Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The group are connecting from a break, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in consideration for the award.
"I watch the lists every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the honor resonates with the trio.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The record was born from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that odd in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The lyrics track breakups and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they want to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Music
That recent toughness demanded a new sound – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Collective Laughter
The trio's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic misadventures.
A former partner ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of flying 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 hope," says Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Path
One can easily sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an worldwide audience.
However Haim will consistently be their primary priority.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."
