The World Are Encouraged to Join as the Additional Haim Member.
"When are you chatting with the Haim sisters?" a message pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There is only a key snag: The sender also wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. And we're far from alone. Multiple high-profile fans have openly petitioned for the position.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy hopefuls.
Similar to the best groups, they're a tight-knit unit. Their music videos frequently show them marching in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such boundless exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a guitar'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest honor. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage young girls to start a band."
"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the next member of Haim."
Grammy Nod
The band are speaking from their homes, where they're recovering after an major tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.
They're right now celebrating the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major milestone," says Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The record came out of a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that odd in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The themes detail endings and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they aspire to be.
"I adore summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to consciously practice blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Sound
That developed confidence required a new sound – more organic and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drums.
"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Laughter
The band's openness fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their dating horror stories.
Someone broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."
An Assured Legacy
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international following.
But the band will forever be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings 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 fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."