The World Are Invited to Join as the Additional Haim Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the band?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
There's just a single issue: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' newest recruit. And we're far from alone. Several high-profile supporters have also coveted the honor.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy nominees.
Similar to the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit trio. Their music videos often show them walking in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate honour. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage young girls to form a group."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the honorary Haim sister."
Historic Recognition
The group are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in contention for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The record was born from a phase of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The lyrics track endings and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to make an effort in blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Music
That developed resilience demanded a new sound – more organic and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drums.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Collective Humor
The band's candor fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their personal misadventures.
One man left Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend 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 only darkness," says Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Path
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an global audience.
Yet the sister act will consistently be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still going strong."