Everyone Are Encouraged to Become the Fourth Haim Bandmate.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the band?" a text pops up. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a key snag: The author likewise longs to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are in plentiful company. A host of famous supporters have also petitioned for the position.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multi-time Grammy contenders.
Similar to the most iconic groups, they're a close trio. Their music videos repeatedly feature them walking in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a guitar'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the ultimate honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate people to start a band."
"Therefore anyone gets an invitation to be the next member of Haim."
Historic Milestone
The band have called into their homes, where they're resting up after an major tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the nomination is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The album emerged from a period of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The lyrics track departures and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to actively work on ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That newfound confidence required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the drums.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's openness shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their dating horror stories.
A former partner broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Legacy
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their place in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international fan base.
But the sister act will always be their primary commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was little," says Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still going strong."