The World is Invited to Join as the Extra Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the band?" an inquiry arrives. "My request was to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
However, there remains one problem: The author likewise desires to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several famous admirers have publicly petitioned for the honor.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their path performing shows at small eateries with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy Award nominees.
In the tradition of the best bands, they're a inseparable gang. Their visuals often show them marching in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such pure exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"How often on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a bass'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the greatest honour. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate people to form a group."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the next part of the family."
Award Nod
The trio have called into home, where they're recovering after an major tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now celebrating the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the honor isn't lost on the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant step," continues Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the women that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The album came out of a phase of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The lyrics follow breakups and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them working out in real time who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That newfound confidence demanded a different sonic direction – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on 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 name of our memoir," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The band's openness fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic horror stories.
Someone ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Path
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an worldwide following.
However the sister act will always be their number one focus.
"We have been playing music since I was four," says Alana. "It's like no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."