The World Are Invited to Join as the Fourth Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're chatting with the band?" a message reads. "I wanted to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There's just one problem: The author likewise wants to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are far from alone. A host of celebrated admirers have also petitioned for the honor.
The evidence suggests something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're multiple Grammy Award nominees.
Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a tight-knit trio. Their visuals frequently feature them marching in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members told us and said, 'After your show, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That is the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"And thus everyone are welcome to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The trio are connecting from their homes, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in support of their latest 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 first all-female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the accolade isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge milestone," adds Alana. "But we're just grateful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The project was born from a phase of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that odd transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The words track endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them determining in real time who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to actively work on blocking the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Style
That recent confidence called for a fresh approach – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The band's openness inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their dating horror stories.
A former partner ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an international audience.
Yet Haim will forever be their primary commitment.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was little," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."