All Fans is Welcome to Be the Fourth Haim Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with Haim?" a text arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There's just a single issue: I also desires to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several high-profile fans have also petitioned for the role.
It's clear a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy contenders.
In the tradition of the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable trio. Their music videos often depict them marching in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless exuberance you can't help but think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the biggest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to form a group."
"Therefore anyone is invited to be the fourth part of the family."
Grammy Nod
The trio have called into a break, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in consideration for the award.
"I follow the lists every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the honor resonates with the trio.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge milestone," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Humour
The album came out of a time of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The lyrics detail endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they want to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to make an effort in blocking the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That recent toughness demanded a new sound – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the percussion.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Humor
The band's candor fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their personal misadventures.
One man broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their standing in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide fan base.
But Haim will forever be their primary commitment.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was little," concludes Alana. "There is no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still kicking."