The World is Welcome to Become the Additional Haim Sisters Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to Haim?" a message arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their extra sister."
However, there remains a single issue: I also longs to be the Haims' newest recruit. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Multiple high-profile admirers have openly petitioned for the role.
It's clear something is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy Award contenders.
Similar to the best bands, they're a close gang. Their videos frequently feature them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such unfettered joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans told us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate young girls to make music."
"And thus anyone is invited to be the fourth part of the family."
Historic Milestone
The trio are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The weight of the honor resonates with the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The album came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The words track endings and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them working out in real life who they want to be.
"I love summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to actively work on shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Music
That developed resilience called for a fresh approach – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Camaraderie
The trio's honesty shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their personal tales.
Someone left 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 breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Path
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their position in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an global fan base.
But Haim will consistently be their number one priority.
"We have been performing since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "There is no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still going strong."