Everyone Are Encouraged to Join as the Fourth Haim Member.
"When are you chatting with the band?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There is only a key snag: The sender also desires to be Haim's fourth member. What's more, we are not alone. Several celebrated admirers have openly coveted the role.
The evidence suggests a special quality is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are repeated Grammy contenders.
Like all the best bands, they're a tight-knit trio. Their videos frequently depict them walking in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such boundless joy you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a bass'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That's the greatest compliment. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to make music."
"So anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth part of the family."
Grammy Recognition
The group are speaking from their homes, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in contention for the prize.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant milestone," says Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the women that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The project came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The lyrics track breakups and partings. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they want to be.
"I love description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to actively work on ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That developed resilience demanded a different sonic direction – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's candor fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their romantic tales.
Someone left Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, 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 therapeutic."
A Secure Legacy
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their place in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an worldwide audience.
Yet the sister act will always be their top priority.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was four," says Alana. "There is nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still making music."
