Everyone Are Encouraged to Be the Fourth Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're speaking to Haim?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There is only a key snag: I also longs to be the Haims' newest recruit. What's more, we are far from alone. Multiple famous fans have openly coveted the honor.
It's clear a special quality is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their path performing shows at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy hopefuls.
In the tradition of the greatest bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their visuals frequently depict them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure exuberance you can't help but think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a guitar'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the biggest honor. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire young girls to start a band."
"And thus all gets an invitation to be the next part of the family."
Grammy Milestone
The band have called into home, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now celebrating the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first female band ever in the running for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the honor isn't lost on the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major milestone," says Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The album emerged from a phase of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The words detail departures and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they aspire to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to consciously practice blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That recent confidence required a fresh approach – more organic and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drums.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Laughter
The trio's honesty inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their personal horror stories.
A former partner ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Path
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an global following.
However the band will always be their primary priority.
"We have been performing since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."