Everyone Are Welcome to Be the Extra Haim Member.
"When are you interviewing Haim?" a text pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
There is only a single issue: The sender also wants to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several high-profile fans have publicly coveted the honor.
It's clear something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy Award nominees.
In the tradition of the best bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their videos frequently feature them marching in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such boundless exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage others to start a band."
"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the fourth part of the family."
Grammy Nod
The trio are speaking from a break, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I watch the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the honor is deeply felt by the band.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," adds Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The project emerged from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The words detail endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they aspire to be.
"I adore summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to consciously practice shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That recent toughness called for a fresh approach – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the percussion.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Laughter
The trio's openness inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.
A former partner broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Legacy
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their place in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an international following.
Yet the sister act will forever be their top focus.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was a young child," says Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."