Everyone Are Invited to Join as the Fourth Haim Sisters Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the Haim sisters?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can be their extra sister."
There's just a key snag: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're far from alone. A host of high-profile admirers have openly coveted the honor.
It's clear something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the greatest bands, they're a tight-knit trio. Their music videos often feature them walking in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such boundless joy you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'After your show, I got a bass'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the ultimate honor. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate people to make music."
"So everyone are welcome to be the next part of the family."
Historic Nod
The band are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now reeling from the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in contention for the award.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of 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 imagining things'?"
The significance of the nomination resonates with the trio.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the female artists that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The record was born from a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The lyrics track endings and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice blocking the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Development of Sound
That developed resilience demanded a fresh approach – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that started with the percussion.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's honesty shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic misadventures.
One man broke up with Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their standing in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an international fan base.
But Haim will forever be their primary priority.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was little," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still making music."