All Fans is Invited to Join as the Additional Haim Sisters Member.
"Any idea when you're chatting with Haim?" a message arrives. "My request was to ask if I can join as their fourth member."
However, there remains one problem: The sender also desires to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are not alone. Several high-profile supporters have openly begged for the role.
One thing is obvious something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy Award nominees.
In the tradition of the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit trio. Their music videos often feature them marching in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such boundless happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest honour. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate people to make music."
"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim."
Grammy Milestone
The band are connecting from a break, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're presently reeling from the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in contention for the prize.
"I tune into the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the honor isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a major achievement," says Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Laughter
The album came out of a phase of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that strange transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.
The lyrics track departures and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to actively work on ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Sound
That developed toughness demanded a different sonic direction – more raw and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drums.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."
Experiences and Collective Camaraderie
The band's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic misadventures.
A former partner ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."
A Secure Future
It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their position in the rock pantheon.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide fan base.
However the band will forever be their number one commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was a young child," says Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still kicking."