Everyone Are Welcome to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Member.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There is only a single issue: I also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several celebrated supporters have openly petitioned for the position.
The evidence suggests something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy Award contenders.
Like all the most iconic ensembles, they're a close gang. Their videos often feature them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such pure exuberance you can't help but think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a guitar'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to start a band."
"So everyone are welcome to be the next part of the family."
Historic Milestone
The trio are connecting from their homes, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the nomination resonates with the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant milestone," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record came out of a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The lyrics follow endings and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"I adore summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to consciously practice shutting out the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Music
That developed confidence required a fresh approach – more raw and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drums.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Camaraderie
The band's honesty fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal tales.
Someone ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Legacy
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an international audience.
However Haim will forever be their number one priority.
"We have been making music since I was four," shares Alana. "It's like no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still kicking."