All Fans is Welcome to Be the Extra Haim Sisters Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the band?" a text arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their extra sister."
However, there remains a single issue: I also desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several celebrated fans have openly begged for the honor.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award nominees.
Like all the greatest groups, they're a inseparable unit. Their music videos often feature them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you can't help but think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That is the biggest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire others to form a group."
"So all are welcome to be the honorary member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The group are connecting from their homes, where they're recovering after an major tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in contention for the award.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," explains 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 truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major milestone," says Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the female artists that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The project came out of a time of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The themes track endings and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I adore description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to make an effort in blocking the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That newfound resilience demanded a fresh approach – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The band's openness fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal tales.
Someone ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an international audience.
Yet Haim will always be their top focus.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still kicking."