The World is Welcome to Join as the Additional Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a message arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their fourth member."
However, there remains a key snag: I also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are in plentiful company. A host of celebrated fans have publicly begged for the role.
It's clear a special quality is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy nominees.
Similar to the most iconic groups, they're a inseparable unit. Their visuals frequently feature them marching in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That's the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"Therefore all are welcome to be the fourth Haim sister."
Historic Nod
The trio are connecting from home, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in the running for the award.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the accolade isn't lost on the trio.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," adds Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the pioneers that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record emerged from a phase of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that odd transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The lyrics detail endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That newfound toughness called for a different sonic direction – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Collective Humor
The band's candor inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their personal tales.
One man broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana shared 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 breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Legacy
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide following.
But Haim will always be their number one priority.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," concludes 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."