The World Are Invited to Be the Fourth Haim Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with Haim?" an inquiry pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their extra sister."
There's just one problem: I also longs to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are far from alone. Multiple high-profile admirers have openly petitioned for the role.
The evidence suggests something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the best bands, they're a tight-knit unit. Their videos frequently depict them walking in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such boundless joy you can't help but think, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a bass'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the ultimate honor. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire people to start a band."
"And thus all are welcome to be the next part of the family."
Historic Recognition
The group are connecting from a break, where they're recovering after an major tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the accolade resonates with the sisters.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major milestone," says Alana. "However we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Humour
The album emerged from a time of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The themes detail departures and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to consciously practice shutting out the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That recent resilience demanded a new sound – more unpolished and powerful 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 says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's honesty inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal tales.
A former partner left Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their place in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an global fan base.
However Haim will consistently be their primary focus.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was little," says Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."