All Fans is Welcome to Become the Fourth Haim Sisters Bandmate.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" an inquiry reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their fourth member."
There's just a single issue: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are far from alone. A host of famous fans have openly coveted the role.
It's clear an irresistible appeal is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award contenders.
Like all the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit unit. Their videos frequently depict them striding in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such unfettered joy you inevitably think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire others to make music."
"And thus everyone is invited to be the honorary member of Haim."
Historic Nod
The group are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in the running for the trophy.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"
The weight of the nomination resonates with the trio.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "But we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."
Emotional Upheaval and Candor
The project came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.
The themes track endings and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them working out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to consciously practice shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That recent toughness demanded a fresh approach – more unpolished and direct 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 nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Laughter
The band's candor fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their dating horror stories.
A former partner left Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Legacy
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their standing in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an global audience.
Yet the band will forever be their top priority.
"We have been playing music since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "There is no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still kicking."