The World is Encouraged to Be the Fourth Haim Member.
"When are you speaking to Haim?" an inquiry pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can become their fourth member."
However, there remains one problem: I also longs to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're not alone. Several celebrated supporters have also begged for the position.
The evidence suggests something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are repeated Grammy nominees.
Like all the most iconic bands, they're a inseparable gang. Their visuals repeatedly show them walking in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such pure joy you can't help but think, "I want to be part of that, too."
"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest honour. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire people to make music."
"So everyone are welcome to be the next part of the family."
Award Milestone
The group are speaking from a break, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're right now celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running for the award.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the honor is deeply felt by the band.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge milestone," continues Alana. "However we're just thankful for the women that came before us."
Heartbreak and Candor
The project was born 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 let go.
The words follow breakups and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Development of Style
That developed toughness called for a new sound – more organic and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drums.
"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate 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 perfect drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Humor
The trio's candor inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their dating misadventures.
A former partner broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Future
One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.
They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an worldwide following.
But the sister act will forever be their primary commitment.
"We have been playing music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "There is nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."