All Fans is Welcome to Join as the Additional Haim Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" a message pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
However, there remains a key snag: The sender also longs to be the Haims' newest recruit. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several high-profile admirers have publicly coveted the role.
One thing is obvious something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Today, they are repeated Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the best bands, they're a tight-knit gang. Their music videos frequently feature them walking in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate people to start a band."
"And thus anyone is invited to be the fourth part of the family."
Award Recognition
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 right now processing the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I dreaming'?"
The weight of the accolade is deeply felt by the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major step," continues Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The album came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The words track breakups and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they aspire to be.
"I adore description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to actively work on shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That newfound toughness called for a new sound – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Humor
The band's honesty shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.
A former partner ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Future
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their position in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an worldwide following.
But the band will consistently be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."