The World Are Welcome to Be the Additional Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're interviewing Haim?" a text reads. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There's just one problem: The author likewise longs to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're in plentiful company. Several high-profile admirers have publicly coveted the position.
The evidence suggests a special quality is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their path playing gigs at small eateries with their parents. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy nominees.
Similar to the greatest bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their music videos often feature them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such boundless joy you inevitably think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got 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 honorary Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The trio are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in contention for the award.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the nomination isn't lost on the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant achievement," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The album emerged from a phase of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that strange transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The lyrics track endings and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they want to be.
"I adore summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to make an effort in ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That developed toughness called for a fresh approach – more unpolished and direct than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the percussion.
"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 name of our biography," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Laughter
The band's candor shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating tales.
A former partner ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an global audience.
Yet the band will always be their primary priority.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."