Everyone is Invited to Be the Extra Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the band?" a text pops up. "My request was to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
There's just a single issue: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are not alone. A host of high-profile admirers have publicly coveted the position.
One thing is obvious something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy nominees.
Like all the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their music videos frequently show them marching in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such pure happiness you can't help but think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a guitar'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to make music."
"So all gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The group have called into home, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major step," says Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers 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 liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The words detail endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them working out in real time who they are becoming.
"I adore description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That newfound resilience called for a different sonic direction – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Laughter
The band's openness fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic horror stories.
One man left Este over a health 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 only darkness," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Future
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their standing in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an international fan base.
Yet Haim will forever be their primary priority.
"We have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still kicking."