The World is Invited to Join as the Additional Haim Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a message reads. "I wanted to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
There's just a key snag: The sender also longs to be Haim's fourth member. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple famous admirers have publicly begged for the role.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path doing sets at small eateries with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy Award hopefuls.
Like all the best bands, they're a tight-knit unit. Their visuals often depict them walking in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such unfettered joy you can't help but 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 got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the ultimate compliment. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage others to start a band."
"So everyone are welcome to be the fourth Haim sister."
Award Milestone
The band have called into their homes, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the nomination isn't lost on the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," continues Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the female artists that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The record was born from a phase of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that unique transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to let go.
The words track breakups and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them determining in real time who they aspire to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to make an effort in shutting out the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That developed confidence called for a different sonic direction – more raw and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drums.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's candor shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal misadventures.
Someone broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Path
One can easily sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the music world.
They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an international following.
But the sister act will always be their primary commitment.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."
