The World is Invited to Become the Fourth Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the Haim sisters?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There is only a key snag: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several celebrated fans have also begged for the honor.
One thing is obvious a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the best bands, they're a close gang. Their videos often show them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you can't help but think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'After your show, I got a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That is the biggest honour. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate people to make music."
"And thus anyone is invited to be the next part of the family."
Grammy Recognition
The group are connecting from home, where they're recovering after an major tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in the running for the award.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The project came out of a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that strange liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The lyrics detail endings and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them working out in real time who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on ignoring the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Style
That recent confidence required a new sound – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Humor
The trio's openness shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating horror stories.
A former partner left Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
An Assured Future
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide audience.
But the sister act will forever be their number one priority.
"We have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still making music."