Everyone is Invited to Be the Additional Haim Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" an inquiry arrives. "My request was to ask if I can be their extra sister."
There's just a single issue: The sender also desires to be the Haims' newest recruit. And we're in plentiful company. A host of high-profile supporters have openly begged for the role.
It's clear something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the most iconic bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their videos repeatedly depict them walking in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such unfettered exuberance you can't help but think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans told us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a bass'," says Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate honour. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage young girls to start a band."
"And thus all is invited to be the next Haim sister."
Grammy Nod
The group have called into home, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the award.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the nomination resonates with the trio.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," continues Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the female artists that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The project was born from a phase of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that strange transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The lyrics track endings and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them determining in real life who they are becoming.
"I love summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to consciously practice shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That developed toughness demanded a different sonic direction – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the percussion.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Collective Humor
The band's honesty shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal horror stories.
One man broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Legacy
One can easily sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an global following.
However Haim will always be their primary priority.
"We have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."