All Fans Are Welcome to Become the Additional Haim Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're speaking to Haim?" a message reads. "I wanted to ask if I can become their fourth member."
However, there remains one problem: The sender also wants to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Multiple high-profile fans have publicly coveted the honor.
One thing is obvious a special quality is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy nominees.
Similar to the most iconic bands, they're a tight-knit unit. Their videos frequently depict them marching in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the greatest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire young girls to form a group."
"And thus everyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Award Nod
The band have called into home, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in contention for the prize.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge milestone," adds Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record was born from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that odd in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The lyrics detail endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they are becoming.
"I love description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to actively work on ignoring the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Style
That developed confidence demanded a fresh approach – more organic and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Collective Laughter
The band's candor inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating misadventures.
Someone ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled 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," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an global fan base.
Yet the band will always be their top focus.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was little," says Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."