Everyone Are Welcome to Become the Fourth Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the Haim sisters?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There's just one problem: The sender also longs to be Haim's fourth member. And we're far from alone. Multiple high-profile supporters have publicly begged for the position.
The evidence suggests a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy hopefuls.
Like all the greatest groups, they're a inseparable unit. Their music videos frequently show them marching in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a guitar'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage people to start a band."
"Therefore all is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."
Award Nod
The group are connecting from a break, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in the running for the prize.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the accolade resonates with the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The project came out of a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The lyrics follow departures and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.
"I adore description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to make an effort in ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That newfound confidence required a fresh approach – more raw and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drums.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Humor
The trio's openness fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating tales.
Someone left Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Future
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an worldwide audience.
Yet the sister act will consistently be their top focus.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."
