Everyone is Encouraged to Become the Fourth Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the band?" an inquiry pops up. "My request was to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
However, there remains one problem: The author likewise desires to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are in plentiful company. A host of celebrated admirers have publicly begged for the position.
It's clear a special quality is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career doing sets at small eateries with their parents. Now they're multiple Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable trio. Their videos frequently feature them walking in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such boundless exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the biggest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"Therefore everyone are welcome to be the fourth part of the family."
Award Milestone
The trio are speaking from their homes, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major step," adds Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The record was born from a period of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The words follow endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they aspire to be.
"I adore description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Style
That recent confidence demanded a different sonic direction – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's openness shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.
Someone broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Legacy
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their standing in the industry.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an international following.
But the band will forever be their primary commitment.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was four," shares Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still kicking."