All Fans Are Invited to Become the Additional Haim Bandmate.
"When are you chatting with the band?" a text arrives. "My request was to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
There's just one problem: The author likewise desires to be Haim's fourth member. And we're not alone. Multiple high-profile fans have openly begged for the role.
It's clear a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy nominees.
In the tradition of the most iconic groups, they're a inseparable trio. Their videos repeatedly show them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I bought a bass'," states Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "It is the greatest honour. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage people to form a group."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the next part of the family."
Historic Recognition
The band are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the nomination is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major achievement," adds Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The project came out of a phase of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that strange transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The lyrics follow breakups and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them working out in real time who they want to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to make an effort in shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That newfound confidence required a different sonic direction – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The band's openness inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating misadventures.
A former partner ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Path
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global audience.
However Haim will always be their primary priority.
"We have been making music since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."