Everyone Are Invited to Be the Fourth Haim Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the band?" a message reads. "My request was to ask if I can become their fourth member."
However, there remains a single issue: I also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. And we're not alone. A host of high-profile fans have publicly petitioned for the honor.
One thing is obvious something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the best groups, they're a tight-knit unit. Their videos repeatedly show them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such unfettered joy you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans told us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire others to start a band."
"So everyone is invited to be the fourth Haim sister."
Award Recognition
The group are connecting from home, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the award.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the accolade is deeply felt by the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," continues Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The project emerged from a period of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that strange in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The themes follow breakups and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to actively work on shutting out the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That recent resilience demanded a different sonic direction – more unpolished and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Laughter
The trio's honesty shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating horror stories.
One man ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Path
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their position in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an international fan base.
However the band will always be their top priority.
"We have been making music since I was four," concludes Alana. "It's like no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."
