The World Are Welcome to Join as the Additional Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a message reads. "My request was to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
There is only one problem: The sender also wants to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are in plentiful company. A host of celebrated supporters have openly coveted the honor.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy contenders.
In the tradition of the best bands, they're a tight-knit gang. Their visuals repeatedly feature them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure happiness you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a bass'," states Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That's the ultimate honour. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"And thus anyone is invited to be the honorary member of Haim."
Award Milestone
The trio are connecting from home, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first female band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the accolade isn't lost on the sisters.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major milestone," continues Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The album emerged from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The lyrics detail endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they are becoming.
"I love summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Style
That newfound confidence called for a new sound – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drums.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's candor shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal misadventures.
A former partner broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared 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 heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."
A Confident Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their position in the music world.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an global following.
However Haim will consistently be their primary commitment.
"My sisters and I have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."