All Fans is Welcome to Be the Extra Haim Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the band?" a message pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a key snag: The author likewise wants to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several high-profile fans have also petitioned for the honor.
The evidence suggests a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy Award contenders.
Similar to the best ensembles, they're a tight-knit unit. Their music videos often depict them striding in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such pure joy you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that fans approached us and said, 'After your show, I bought a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate people to make music."
"Therefore anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth part of the family."
Award Nod
The trio are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first female band ever in the running for the award.
"I watch the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the nomination resonates with the trio.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major milestone," says Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the female artists that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The record emerged from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The lyrics track breakups and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real time who they are becoming.
"I love summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Style
That recent toughness called for a different sonic direction – more unpolished and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drums.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The trio's openness shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their personal misadventures.
Someone ended things with 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.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international fan base.
But the sister act will consistently be their top priority.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still going strong."