The World Are Encouraged to Join as the Extra Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're chatting with the Haim sisters?" a message pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their extra sister."
There is only a key snag: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're far from alone. A host of famous fans have publicly begged for the position.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the greatest groups, they're a tight-knit trio. Their music videos frequently feature them walking in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest honor. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate others to make music."
"And thus all is invited to be the next part of the family."
Award Milestone
The band are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the nomination resonates with the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major milestone," adds Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album came out of a time of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The themes track endings and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them working out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"I love description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That developed confidence demanded a fresh approach – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on the drums.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Laughter
The trio's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic misadventures.
One man ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling 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 hope," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Path
You can clearly sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide audience.
However the band will always be their primary commitment.
"We have been making music since I was little," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still making music."