Everyone is Invited to Join as the Additional Haim Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry pops up. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There's just one problem: I also wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. What's more, we are in plentiful company. A host of famous fans have also begged for the role.
It's clear something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at small eateries with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
In the tradition of the most iconic ensembles, they're a inseparable trio. Their visuals often depict them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure joy you can't help but think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the biggest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire others to make music."
"So all is invited to be the next part of the family."
Award Recognition
The group have called into home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I watch the nominations 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 correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the honor resonates with the band.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge achievement," continues Alana. "But we're just grateful for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record came out of a period of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The themes detail endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they want to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to make an effort in ignoring the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound toughness called for a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Humor
The band's candor inspired the album's promotional campaign, 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 celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their place in the industry.
They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an international fan base.
Yet Haim will always be their top focus.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was a young child," says Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."