Everyone Are Welcome to Join as the Additional Haim Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the band?" an inquiry reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their fourth member."
However, there remains a single issue: I also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're far from alone. Several celebrated supporters have also coveted the honor.
The evidence suggests something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy Award contenders.
Like all the most iconic ensembles, they're a tight-knit trio. Their videos repeatedly feature them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans told us and said, 'After your show, I got a bass'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the greatest honor. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to form a group."
"And thus everyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Historic Recognition
The trio are connecting from their homes, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The significance of the honor isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the pioneers that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The record was born from a period of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that strange transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The lyrics track departures and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I love summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Sound
That newfound resilience required a different sonic direction – more organic and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drums.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Humor
The band's openness inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their dating horror stories.
One man ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Path
One can easily sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global following.
But the sister act will always be their number one focus.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was little," says Alana. "There is no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."