The World is Encouraged to Be the Extra Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
There is only a key snag: The sender also longs to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are not alone. Several famous fans have also petitioned for the honor.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path performing shows at small eateries with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy contenders.
Similar to the best ensembles, they're a close unit. Their videos frequently feature them striding in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the greatest honour. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire others to start a band."
"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Historic Nod
The trio are connecting from their homes, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in the running for the prize.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the nomination isn't lost on the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major achievement," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The album emerged from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The themes follow departures and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"I love description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice shutting out the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Style
That recent toughness demanded a new sound – more organic and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on the drums.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Camaraderie
The band's openness shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their dating misadventures.
One man broke up with Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Legacy
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international following.
But the band will always be their number one priority.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," says Alana. "There is no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."