The World is Encouraged to Be the Additional Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the Haim sisters?" a text arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There's just a single issue: The sender also longs to be the Haims' newest recruit. And we're far from alone. Several celebrated fans have publicly begged for the honor.
One thing is obvious a special quality is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their career performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the greatest groups, they're a close trio. Their videos repeatedly feature them walking in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such unfettered exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members told us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That is the ultimate honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate people to form a group."
"So everyone gets an invitation to be the next part of the family."
Grammy Recognition
The group have called into their homes, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the nomination is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just grateful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The project emerged from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that odd transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The themes detail endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they want to be.
"I adore summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That newfound toughness required a fresh approach – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's openness fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating tales.
One man broke up with Este over a health consideration. Alana told 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 heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their place in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an international audience.
But the band will always be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was little," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still going strong."