Everyone is Welcome to Become the Extra Haim Sisters Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" a message reads. "I wanted to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There is only one problem: The sender also desires to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are not alone. Multiple high-profile admirers have publicly coveted the honor.
It's clear something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award hopefuls.
Like all the best groups, they're a tight-knit trio. Their music videos frequently depict them marching in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such boundless happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the trio. "It is the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire people to start a band."
"So anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Award Nod
The group are connecting from a break, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their new 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 pioneering all-woman band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the honor is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," says Alana. "However we're just grateful for the female artists that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Candor
The record was born from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The words follow breakups and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them working out in real time who they want to be.
"I adore summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to make an effort in blocking the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound confidence called for a new sound – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Camaraderie
The band's candor shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal horror stories.
One man left Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their position in the music world.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an worldwide fan base.
However Haim will always be their primary focus.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," shares Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."