Everyone is Invited to Become the Fourth Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're interviewing Haim?" a message arrives. "My request was to ask if I can be their extra sister."
However, there remains a key snag: The author likewise wants to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Several high-profile fans have openly begged for the position.
The evidence suggests something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are repeated Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the best bands, they're a close gang. Their visuals frequently show them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such boundless exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a guitar'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That's the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire others to start a band."
"And thus all gets an invitation to be the next Haim sister."
Award Nod
The band are speaking from a break, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I watch the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the honor isn't lost on the sisters.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," adds Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The words detail breakups and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they are becoming.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to actively work on ignoring the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That newfound confidence required a fresh approach – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music 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 focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Collective Laughter
The trio's honesty shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their dating misadventures.
Someone left Este over a health concern. Alana shared a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Legacy
One can easily sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the industry.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an international audience.
But Haim will always be their number one commitment.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was little," says Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."