The World Are Welcome to Become the Fourth Haim Sister.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the band?" a text arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There's just a single issue: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple high-profile fans have also begged for the honor.
One thing is obvious something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are repeated Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the most iconic bands, they're a tight-knit gang. Their visuals often show them marching in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such pure happiness 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, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That's the ultimate compliment. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire others to start a band."
"And thus anyone are welcome to be the fourth Haim sister."
Historic Nod
The trio are connecting from their homes, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in for their new album, I Quit.
They're right now processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in consideration for the award.
"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The significance of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.
"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge milestone," says Alana. "But we're just grateful for the pioneers that came before us."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The record emerged from a time of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that strange transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The words follow breakups and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to actively work on ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That recent toughness called for a new sound – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Shared Humor
The band's openness inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating tales.
Someone left Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Path
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their position in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an international following.
But the band will consistently be their primary priority.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was little," says Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."