All Fans is Encouraged to Be the Extra Haim Sisters Sister.
"When are you chatting with the band?" a text pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can become their extra sister."
However, there remains one problem: The sender also longs to be Haim's newest recruit. And we're in plentiful company. Several celebrated supporters have publicly coveted the honor.
It's clear a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the best bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their visuals often feature them striding in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such pure joy you can't help but think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"And thus anyone are welcome to be the fourth Haim sister."
Award Recognition
The group are connecting from their homes, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the nomination resonates with the sisters.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge milestone," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The album came out of a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The lyrics track endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them working out in real life who they want to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Music
That developed resilience required a fresh approach – more raw and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drums.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's openness inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their dating misadventures.
One man broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Legacy
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an international following.
But the band will consistently be their number one commitment.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."