The World Are Encouraged to Join as the Extra Haim Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" a text reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
However, there remains one problem: I also longs to be Haim's newest recruit. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several famous fans have also begged for the position.
It's clear a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the most iconic bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their videos often feature them striding in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure joy you find yourself thinking, "I want to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That's the ultimate honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to make music."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Historic Nod
The group are connecting from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the nomination is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant milestone," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The project was born from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The themes detail endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to actively work on shutting out the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound confidence called for a different sonic direction – more raw and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Camaraderie
The band's openness fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic horror stories.
One man ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an global fan base.
Yet the band will consistently be their primary priority.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was little," concludes Alana. "There is no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."