All Fans Are Welcome to Be the Extra Haim Member.
"When are you speaking to the band?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There's just a key snag: The author likewise longs to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're far from alone. Multiple famous admirers have also begged for the position.
It's clear a special quality is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award nominees.
In the tradition of the best groups, they're a inseparable unit. Their videos repeatedly feature them marching in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such unfettered joy you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a bass'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the ultimate honor. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire people to form a group."
"So anyone are welcome to be the honorary member of Haim."
Award Milestone
The group are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for 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 first female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the accolade is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the women that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The album was born from a period of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The themes track departures and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they want to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Music
That newfound toughness demanded a new sound – more unpolished and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drums.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The band's honesty shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating misadventures.
A former partner left Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their place in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global fan base.
But Haim will consistently be their number one focus.
"We have been performing since I was four," shares Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."