Everyone Are Invited to Be the Extra Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the band?" a message pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There is only one problem: I also longs to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are far from alone. A host of high-profile fans have openly coveted the honor.
The evidence suggests something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path doing sets at small eateries with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy contenders.
In the tradition of the greatest bands, they're a close unit. Their videos often depict them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That's the greatest honour. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire others to start a band."
"So everyone is invited to be the honorary Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The trio have called into home, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it kind of 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 right or am I dreaming'?"
The weight of the honor resonates with the trio.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The album came out of a period of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The lyrics track departures and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"I adore summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to make an effort in ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That developed resilience called for a new sound – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the percussion.
"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 title of our biography," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Humor
The trio's candor fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their personal misadventures.
Someone left Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an global following.
Yet the band will forever be their number one priority.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was little," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."
