The World is Invited to Join as the Additional Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the Haim sisters?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
However, there remains a single issue: The author likewise longs to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. A host of celebrated admirers have openly begged for the position.
One thing is obvious something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy nominees.
Like all the greatest bands, they're a close unit. Their music videos frequently feature them walking in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered joy you inevitably think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members told us and said, 'After your show, I got a guitar'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the biggest honor. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage young girls to start a band."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the honorary part of the family."
Historic Nod
The band are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards ā with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in contention for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear 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 record this time, so it's a huge milestone," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the women that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The project emerged from a period of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The themes follow endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they are becoming.
"I love summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to make an effort in blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Sound
That newfound confidence required a fresh approach ā more raw and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The band's openness shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their dating horror stories.
Someone broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Legacy
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the music world.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an international audience.
However the sister act will forever be their primary commitment.
"We have been making music since I was little," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."
