All Fans is Welcome to Become the Extra Haim Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" an inquiry reads. "My request was to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There's just a single issue: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Multiple famous supporters have openly petitioned for the position.
The evidence suggests something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey doing sets at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.
Similar to the greatest bands, they're a close trio. Their videos frequently show them walking in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls told us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That is the ultimate compliment. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage people to make music."
"Therefore anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Historic Milestone
The band are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in the running for the award.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"
The significance of the honor isn't lost on the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge milestone," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the pioneers that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The album emerged from a period of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The lyrics track endings and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real time who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to actively work on blocking the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound toughness required a fresh approach – more unpolished and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The band's openness inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating horror stories.
A former partner left Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Path
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an international audience.
However Haim will consistently be their primary focus.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was a young child," says Alana. "It's like no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still going strong."
