All Fans Are Invited to Become the Additional Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're interviewing Haim?" an inquiry arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There is only a single issue: The sender also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're not alone. Several celebrated admirers have publicly petitioned for the position.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the greatest groups, they're a inseparable trio. Their videos repeatedly show them marching in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the greatest honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"Therefore anyone are welcome to be the honorary part of the family."
Grammy Nod
The trio are speaking from their homes, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The significance of the nomination resonates with the trio.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The album emerged from a phase of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that strange transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The themes follow breakups and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real life who they are becoming.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That newfound resilience required a new sound – more organic and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on 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 name of our memoir," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Laughter
The band's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their personal horror stories.
Someone ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Future
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an international audience.
However the sister act will consistently be their top focus.
"We have been performing since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It's like no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."