Everyone Are Invited to Join as the Fourth Haim Sisters Sister.
"When are you 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 fourth member. And we're far from alone. A host of celebrated supporters have publicly petitioned for the position.
One thing is obvious a special quality is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their family. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy nominees.
Like all the most iconic groups, they're a inseparable trio. Their visuals repeatedly feature them walking in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such boundless happiness you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls told us and said, 'After your show, I got a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That is the biggest honour. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate people to start a band."
"And thus anyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Nod
The group have called into their homes, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the nomination isn't lost on the sisters.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major step," continues Alana. "But we're just grateful for the female artists that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record emerged from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The lyrics detail breakups and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real life who they want to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to make an effort in ignoring the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That recent resilience called for a new sound – more unpolished and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The band's honesty inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their personal tales.
Someone ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Future
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their place in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide audience.
Yet the band will always be their primary focus.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "There is nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still making music."