All Fans is Invited to Be the Fourth Haim Sisters Member.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry pops up. "My request was to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There's just a single issue: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're far from alone. Multiple high-profile admirers have also coveted the position.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey doing sets at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the greatest groups, they're a close unit. Their music videos often depict them walking in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such pure exuberance you can't help but think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "It is the biggest honour. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire people to form a group."
"And thus anyone is invited to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Milestone
The group are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first female band ever in contention for the award.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant achievement," adds Alana. "But we're just grateful for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The album was born from a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The themes follow breakups and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them working out in real time who they want to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to make an effort in blocking the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Style
That recent confidence demanded a different sonic direction – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Laughter
The trio's candor fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating tales.
Someone broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate 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," says Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their place in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an international audience.
However Haim will always be their number one commitment.
"We have been playing music since I was little," concludes Alana. "It's like no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still making music."