All Fans is Invited to Be the Extra Haim Sisters Member.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
There is only a single issue: The sender also wants to be Haim's additional sibling. And we're far from alone. A host of high-profile admirers have openly petitioned for the role.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Now they're repeated Grammy Award contenders.
In the tradition of the most iconic bands, they're a tight-knit unit. Their music videos frequently depict them striding in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans approached us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a bass'," states Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That is the greatest honor. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to start a band."
"And thus all is invited to be the next part of the family."
Award Recognition
The band are connecting from home, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in consideration for the award.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the accolade isn't lost on the trio.
"We truly 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 women that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The record emerged from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The themes track endings and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real life who they want to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Style
That newfound confidence demanded a fresh approach – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The trio's honesty fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating misadventures.
One man left Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Path
One can easily sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international fan base.
But the band will forever be their top priority.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."