All Fans Are Encouraged to Be the Extra Haim Sisters Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry arrives. "My request was to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
There is only one problem: The sender also longs to be the Haims' newest recruit. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Multiple high-profile supporters have openly coveted the position.
It's clear a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their family. Now they're multiple Grammy nominees.
Like all the most iconic ensembles, they're a inseparable trio. Their visuals frequently show them marching in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such pure exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members told us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest honor. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate people to start a band."
"And thus all is invited to be the next Haim sister."
Historic Nod
The band have called into a break, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first female band ever in contention for the award.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the nomination resonates with the band.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," says Alana. "However we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The album emerged from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that odd in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The words detail departures and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in real time who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That newfound confidence called for a different sonic direction – more organic and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the percussion.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Collective Humor
The band's openness fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their romantic tales.
One man ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international following.
Yet the sister act will forever be their primary priority.
"We have been performing since I was a young child," says Alana. "There is no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."