All Fans is Invited to Be the Fourth Haim Sister.
"When are you speaking to the band?" an inquiry reads. "I wanted to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a single issue: The sender also desires to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. A host of celebrated admirers have openly petitioned for the position.
The evidence suggests a special quality is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit trio. Their music videos often feature them walking in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the ultimate compliment. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"So everyone gets an invitation to be the honorary part of the family."
Historic Nod
The group are speaking from a break, where they're recovering after an major tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're currently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running for the award.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the nomination isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The record came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that strange in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to let go.
The lyrics track endings and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in real time who they want to be.
"I love description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to actively work on shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That recent confidence called for a fresh approach – more organic and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drums.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The trio's openness fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal tales.
A former partner ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Legacy
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their position in the music world.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide following.
However Haim will consistently be their number one focus.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was little," shares Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've gotten here and we're still making music."
