The World is Welcome to Become the Additional Haim Sisters Member.
"Any idea when you're speaking to the Haim sisters?" a text arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their extra sister."
There is only one problem: The author likewise longs to be Haim's newest recruit. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple celebrated fans have publicly begged for the honor.
One thing is obvious something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the greatest ensembles, they're a tight-knit trio. Their videos often depict them marching in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such boundless joy you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that audience members told us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a guitar'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate others to start a band."
"So everyone is invited to be the next Haim sister."
Award Recognition
The group are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I tune into the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The significance of the accolade is deeply felt by the band.
"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major milestone," says Alana. "But we're just grateful for the pioneers that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The project came out of a time 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 yet ready to start anew.
The words follow breakups and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in real life who they want to be.
"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to actively work on shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That recent confidence demanded a different sonic direction – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Laughter
The band's openness inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their dating horror stories.
A former partner left Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Future
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 hit albums and an global audience.
But the sister act will consistently be their top commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was little," says Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still going strong."