Everyone is Encouraged to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Member.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the band?" a text reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
However, there remains a single issue: I also desires to be the Haims' newest recruit. What's more, we are far from alone. Multiple celebrated admirers have openly coveted the role.
One thing is obvious something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy hopefuls.
In the tradition of the best bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their visuals repeatedly depict them striding in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a guitar'," says Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the ultimate honor. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"So everyone is invited to be the next member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The trio have called into home, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the nomination resonates with the sisters.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant step," says Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The album emerged from a time of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The words track endings and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them working out in real life who they want to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to consciously practice shutting out the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Sound
That recent confidence demanded a fresh approach – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music 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 care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Camaraderie
The band's openness shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic misadventures.
One man broke up with Este over a medical 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," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Legacy
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their position in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international following.
Yet the sister act will always be their top priority.
"We have been performing since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still making music."
