Everyone Are Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Sisters Member.
"When are you chatting with Haim?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
There is only a single issue: The sender also wants to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Multiple famous admirers have also begged for the role.
It's clear something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at small eateries with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the most iconic ensembles, they're a close gang. Their visuals frequently show them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That is the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Milestone
The trio are speaking from a break, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The significance of the honor isn't lost on the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant milestone," continues Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The album came out of a period of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The words detail endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Sound
That recent resilience called for a fresh approach – more raw and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's openness shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic horror stories.
A former partner broke up with Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Future
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their place in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide audience.
But the sister act will always be their number one focus.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."