All Fans is Welcome to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're interviewing Haim?" a message arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a single issue: I also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Several famous supporters have also begged for the role.
It's clear a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award hopefuls.
Like all the greatest groups, they're a close trio. Their videos repeatedly feature them marching in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such boundless joy you find yourself thinking, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the biggest honor. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire people to form a group."
"So all gets an invitation to be the honorary Haim sister."
Historic Recognition
The group are speaking from their homes, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I follow the lists every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge step," says Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Humour
The album emerged from a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that odd in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The themes track endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in real time who they aspire to be.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Music
That newfound toughness demanded a different sonic direction – more organic and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce 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 subject of our book," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's candor fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal misadventures.
One man left Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the industry.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an international audience.
But the sister act will consistently be their primary priority.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."