Everyone is Invited to Join as the Extra Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the band?" a text pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."
There's just a single issue: The sender also wants to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. A host of famous supporters have also petitioned for the honor.
One thing is obvious a special quality is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy nominees.
Similar to the best groups, they're a inseparable gang. Their videos often feature them marching in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure joy you find yourself thinking, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"How often on tour that young girls told us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That is the biggest compliment. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire young girls to start a band."
"And thus everyone is invited to be the next member of Haim."
Historic Nod
The band are connecting from their homes, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in support of their fourth 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 first female band ever in contention for the award.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the nomination isn't lost on the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major achievement," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the pioneers that inspired us."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The record came out of a time of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that strange transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The lyrics detail endings and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them working out in real life who they are becoming.
"I adore description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Sound
That developed toughness required a new sound – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Collective Humor
The band's honesty shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their personal misadventures.
Someone left Este over a health concern. Alana recalled 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. "Thus to be able to share those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."
An Assured Path
You can clearly sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an global fan base.
Yet the band will consistently be their number one priority.
"We have been playing music since I was four," shares Alana. "There is no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."