The World is Invited to Join as the Additional Haim Sisters Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the band?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can join as their extra sister."
There is only a single issue: I also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple celebrated admirers have openly coveted the position.
The evidence suggests a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their path doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the greatest groups, they're a inseparable unit. Their music videos often feature them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such unfettered happiness you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"How often on tour that fans told us and said, 'After your show, I bought a bass'," says Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate compliment. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate others to make music."
"Therefore anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth member of Haim."
Grammy Recognition
The group have called into a break, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first female band ever in the running for the award.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the accolade resonates with the band.
"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The album emerged from a period of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The themes follow departures and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That developed toughness called for a new sound – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drums.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The band's honesty fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic misadventures.
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 casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an international audience.
Yet Haim will forever be their number one focus.
"We have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."