Everyone is Encouraged to Become the Extra Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the band?" an inquiry pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their extra sister."
However, there remains a single issue: The sender also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're far from alone. Multiple high-profile supporters have publicly coveted the honor.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their career performing shows at neighborhood delis with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy contenders.
Similar to the greatest ensembles, they're a close gang. Their visuals repeatedly show them striding in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a guitar'," states Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest honor. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage others to make music."
"Therefore everyone is invited to be the honorary Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The group are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the award.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the accolade isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," continues Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The record emerged from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The themes track departures and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them determining in real time who they are becoming.
"I love summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That developed toughness required a new sound – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on the percussion.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The trio's candor fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.
Someone left Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Path
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an global fan base.
But the band will forever be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."
