The World is Welcome to Become the Fourth Haim Member.
"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" a message arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There's just one problem: I also longs to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're far from alone. A host of famous fans have publicly petitioned for the position.
One thing is obvious a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award nominees.
Like all the most iconic ensembles, they're a tight-knit unit. Their visuals often show them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a guitar'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate honor. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate others to make music."
"Therefore anyone gets an invitation to be the next part of the family."
Grammy Recognition
The group are speaking from home, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I watch the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the accolade isn't lost on the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant step," says Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."
Personal Turmoil and Candor
The record came out of a phase of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to move on.
The themes detail endings and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they want to be.
"I love summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
Development of Sound
That recent resilience demanded a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drum sound.
"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Laughter
The band's honesty shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal tales.
Someone broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Confident Future
You can clearly sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their position in the industry.
They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an global following.
Yet the sister act will forever be their number one focus.
"We have been performing since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."