All Fans is Invited to Be the Fourth Haim Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the band?" a text arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
However, there remains one problem: The sender also desires to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several famous supporters have publicly begged for the role.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy nominees.
In the tradition of the most iconic ensembles, they're a close unit. Their videos repeatedly show them striding in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such pure exuberance you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a bass'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the ultimate compliment. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate others to start a band."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim."
Award Recognition
The trio are connecting from home, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first female band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the nomination isn't lost on the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," continues Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record emerged from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that odd in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The lyrics track endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to actively work on shutting out the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound toughness demanded a fresh approach – more raw and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Humor
The trio's candor fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic horror stories.
A former partner left Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Legacy
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an international audience.
However Haim will consistently be their primary commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was little," says Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still making music."