The World is Welcome to Be the Extra Haim Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to Haim?" a text arrives. "My request was to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There is only a single issue: The author likewise wants to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several famous admirers have also coveted the role.
It's clear a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path doing sets at small eateries with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy contenders.
Like all the most iconic bands, they're a inseparable gang. Their visuals frequently depict them walking in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such unfettered exuberance you can't help but think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage people to form a group."
"And thus everyone are welcome to be the honorary part of the family."
Grammy Recognition
The group are speaking from a break, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I follow the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the accolade resonates with the band.
"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant milestone," continues Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that paved the way."
Heartbreak and Candor
The album was born from a phase of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that unique in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The words detail breakups and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to consciously practice blocking the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That recent confidence required a new sound – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drum sound.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Collective Laughter
The band's openness shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their personal horror stories.
A former partner broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana shared 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 no hope," says Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
An Assured Future
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their standing in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global fan base.
Yet the sister act will always be their primary commitment.
"We have been making music since I was little," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still going strong."