Everyone is Welcome to Join as the Extra Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" a text reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
There is only a key snag: I also longs to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are far from alone. Multiple famous admirers have also coveted the position.
The evidence suggests a special quality is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their path doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're multiple Grammy Award nominees.
In the tradition of the most iconic ensembles, they're a inseparable gang. Their videos repeatedly feature them walking in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such pure exuberance you inevitably think, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate honour. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to make music."
"Therefore all are welcome to be the next part of the family."
Grammy Recognition
The group have called into their homes, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the nomination resonates with the sisters.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the pioneers that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The album emerged from a phase of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.
The words detail endings and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That developed resilience called for a fresh approach – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."
Stories and Collective Camaraderie
The trio's honesty fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.
One man left Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Legacy
It's not difficult sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an global audience.
But the sister act will consistently be their top priority.
"We have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still making music."