All Fans is Encouraged to Join as the Additional Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're chatting with the Haim sisters?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a single issue: The author likewise longs to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are not alone. A host of high-profile supporters have openly petitioned for the honor.
The evidence suggests a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path performing shows at local delicatessens with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy nominees.
Like all the greatest bands, they're a inseparable trio. Their music videos repeatedly show them striding in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such unfettered joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a bass'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "It is the biggest honour. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"Therefore everyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Award Nod
The trio are speaking from home, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge achievement," continues Alana. "However we're just thankful for the women that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The project was born from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that odd in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The words follow endings and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they aspire to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to actively work on shutting out the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound resilience called for a new sound – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The band's honesty inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their dating misadventures.
Someone left Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Legacy
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their standing in the industry.
They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an global audience.
Yet the sister act will consistently be their primary commitment.
"We have been making music since I was little," shares Alana. "There is no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still making music."