Everyone is Invited to Join as the Additional Haim Member.
"Any idea when you're interviewing the band?" a text pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
However, there remains a key snag: I also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. And we're in plentiful company. Several high-profile admirers have publicly begged for the position.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career playing gigs at small eateries with their parents. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy nominees.
In the tradition of the most iconic bands, they're a tight-knit gang. Their visuals often depict them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such pure exuberance you inevitably think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a bass'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to make music."
"So all are welcome to be the honorary member of Haim."
Award Nod
The band have called into their homes, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in contention for the trophy.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The importance of the accolade isn't lost on the sisters.
"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The record came out of a time of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that strange liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The lyrics track breakups and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.
"I love description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That newfound confidence called for a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Collective Humor
The band's candor inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic misadventures.
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 casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
An Assured Legacy
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their place in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an worldwide audience.
Yet the band will forever be their top focus.
"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was a young child," says Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."