All Fans is Encouraged to Become the Extra Haim Sisters Member.
"When are you interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
However, there remains a key snag: I also desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're in plentiful company. A host of famous admirers have publicly begged for the position.
One thing is obvious a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.
Like all the best bands, they're a close unit. Their music videos often feature them walking in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a bass'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest honour. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage people to make music."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the honorary part of the family."
Grammy Nod
The group are connecting from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The weight of the accolade is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major milestone," says Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The album was born from a time of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that strange transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The themes track departures and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to actively work on ignoring the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Sound
That newfound toughness called for a fresh approach – more raw and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drums.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Humor
The band's honesty inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal tales.
A former partner ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Future
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their place in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global fan base.
But Haim will always be their number one focus.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was a young child," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still making music."