All Fans is Welcome to Join as the Extra Haim Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can be their extra sister."
However, there remains one problem: I also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are far from alone. Several high-profile supporters have publicly begged for the position.
One thing is obvious something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award contenders.
In the tradition of the best ensembles, they're a close unit. Their visuals often depict them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such boundless happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a bass'," states Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That's the greatest honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage people to make music."
"So all is invited to be the next Haim sister."
Award Nod
The band are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I tune into the lists every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience 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 importance of the nomination is deeply felt by the trio.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge achievement," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the pioneers that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The record was born from a phase of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that unique transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The themes track endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they aspire to be.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That recent toughness called for a fresh approach – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the drums.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's openness inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their romantic tales.
Someone ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Path
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an international fan base.
However Haim will consistently be their primary priority.
"We have been playing music since I was a young child," says Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still kicking."