The World Are Encouraged to Become the Fourth Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're chatting with the band?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There's just a key snag: I also desires to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're in plentiful company. Several celebrated fans have publicly begged for the position.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their path playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy Award contenders.
In the tradition of the greatest ensembles, they're a tight-knit trio. Their videos repeatedly show them striding in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such pure exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the ultimate honour. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Milestone
The band are speaking from a break, where they're resting up after an major tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the honor isn't lost on the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The project emerged from a period of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The words track breakups and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they want to be.
"I adore summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That recent toughness required a new sound – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The band's openness shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their dating horror stories.
Someone broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Path
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an worldwide fan base.
However the band will forever be their top priority.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," shares Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."