Everyone is Welcome to Become the Fourth Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the Haim sisters?" a message arrives. "My request was to ask if I can be their extra sister."
There's just one problem: The author likewise wants to be Haim's fourth member. And we're not alone. Multiple celebrated fans have also begged for the role.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their path playing gigs at small eateries with their parents. Now they're multiple Grammy Award nominees.
Like all the greatest groups, they're a inseparable gang. Their music videos frequently feature them walking in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such pure happiness you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest honour. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate others to make music."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Award Nod
The group are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been nominated 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," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The significance of the accolade resonates with the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant achievement," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the women that inspired us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The project was born from a time of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The words track departures and partings. 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.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That developed confidence required a different sonic direction – more organic and immediate than any of the music 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 states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Humor
The trio's honesty fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their personal tales.
A former partner ended things with 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 breakups, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Path
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their place in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an international audience.
Yet the band will always be their primary focus.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It's like no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still going strong."