The World Are Encouraged to Become the Additional Haim Sisters Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" an inquiry pops up. "My request was to ask if I can be their extra sister."
There's just one problem: I also longs to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're far from alone. A host of high-profile supporters have openly coveted the honor.
It's clear something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy hopefuls.
In the tradition of the greatest bands, they're a inseparable trio. Their visuals often feature them striding in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such pure exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate others to form a group."
"And thus all gets an invitation to be the next part of the family."
Award Milestone
The trio are connecting from their homes, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running for the award.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the nomination is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge step," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The record came out of a time of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that unique transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The lyrics detail endings and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they are becoming.
"I adore description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That developed toughness demanded a different sonic direction – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drums.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's honesty inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their dating tales.
Someone broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
An Assured Future
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their position in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide following.
Yet Haim will always be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still going strong."