Everyone Are Welcome to Become the Extra Haim Bandmate.
"When are you interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
There's just one problem: I also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. A host of famous admirers have also coveted the role.
It's clear a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy nominees.
In the tradition of the best groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their visuals often depict them striding in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such unfettered joy you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That is the biggest honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to form a group."
"Therefore anyone are welcome to be the honorary Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The group are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the accolade resonates with the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant milestone," says Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the women that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The album was born from a period of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that odd transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to let go.
The lyrics follow endings and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I adore description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That developed confidence required a fresh approach – more organic and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'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."
Stories and Collective Humor
The trio's openness inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their dating misadventures.
Someone ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana shared a story of travelling 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 no light," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their standing in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an worldwide audience.
But the sister act will always be their top priority.
"We have been playing music since I was little," concludes Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still making music."