All Fans is Encouraged to Be the Extra Haim Member.
"When are you speaking to Haim?" a message pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
There's just a key snag: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several famous admirers have also coveted the role.
One thing is obvious a special quality is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy hopefuls.
In the tradition of the most iconic groups, they're a inseparable gang. Their videos often show them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'After your show, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire others to form a group."
"And thus anyone are welcome to be the honorary member of Haim."
Grammy Nod
The band are connecting from their homes, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the accolade is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major achievement," says Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The album came out of a phase of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that strange in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The words follow departures and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them working out in real time who they want to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in ignoring the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That developed toughness demanded a fresh approach – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The trio's honesty shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating tales.
Someone left Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Path
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide following.
However the sister act will consistently be their top priority.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," says Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."