The World is Invited to Be the Additional Haim Sisters Sister.
"When are you interviewing the band?" an inquiry arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There is only one problem: The sender also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Several celebrated fans have openly petitioned for the position.
One thing is obvious a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy contenders.
In the tradition of the best bands, they're a close gang. Their music videos frequently feature them striding in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That is the ultimate honor. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire people to make music."
"Therefore all is invited to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The band are speaking from home, where they're resting up after an major tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie 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 weight of the honor resonates with the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The record was born from a period of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that strange in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The words track departures and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"I love summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That developed resilience demanded a fresh approach – more organic and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce 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 title of our memoir," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Humor
The band's openness inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic horror stories.
A former partner broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of flying 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," notes Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Legacy
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their place in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an global following.
However Haim will always be their top commitment.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was four," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still making music."