All Fans Are Welcome to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Member.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to Haim?" a text reads. "I wanted to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
However, there remains one problem: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are not alone. A host of celebrated supporters have publicly coveted the role.
It's clear a special quality is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their career doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy contenders.
Like all the best groups, they're a close trio. Their videos repeatedly feature them striding in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such pure exuberance you can't help but think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That's the biggest honour. That is recognition in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate people to start a band."
"So everyone are welcome to be the next Haim sister."
Historic Recognition
The band are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first female band ever in consideration for the award.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the nomination isn't lost on the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major achievement," adds Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The project was born from a time of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that unique in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to let go.
The themes detail endings and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them working out in real time who they aspire to be.
"I love summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to make an effort in shutting out the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Refinement of Music
That recent confidence called for a new sound – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Humor
The trio's openness inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic horror stories.
A former partner broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
A Secure Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an international fan base.
However the band will always be their primary commitment.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was little," shares Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."