All Fans is Welcome to Be the Extra Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the band?" a message arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There's just a key snag: The author likewise wants to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are far from alone. A host of famous fans have publicly petitioned for the role.
It's clear something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a close trio. Their visuals repeatedly depict them striding in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such unfettered exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the ultimate honor. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to start a band."
"So anyone are welcome to be the next part of the family."
Grammy Recognition
The trio are speaking from home, where they're recovering after an major tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in contention for the award.
"I watch the lists every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the nomination is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge achievement," continues Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The album was born from a phase of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that odd in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The themes follow endings and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"I adore description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Music
That developed resilience required a new sound – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Shared Laughter
The trio's honesty fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic misadventures.
A former partner broke up with Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Legacy
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their place in the industry.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an international fan base.
But Haim will forever be their number one focus.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still kicking."