Everyone is Encouraged to Join as the Fourth Haim Sisters Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" a text pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their fourth member."
There's just a key snag: The sender also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. A host of famous admirers have publicly coveted the role.
The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're multiple Grammy Award hopefuls.
In the tradition of the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable unit. Their music videos frequently depict them marching in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I want to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the ultimate honor. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate people to start a band."
"And thus all are welcome to be the honorary part of the family."
Award Milestone
The band are speaking from their homes, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their new album, I Quit.
They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"
The importance of the accolade is deeply felt by the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge step," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the pioneers that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Humour
The record was born from a period of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The themes track departures and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in the moment who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in ignoring the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That recent confidence required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the drums.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."
Stories and Collective Laughter
The trio's openness shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal misadventures.
Someone ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.
"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."
An Assured Future
One can easily sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the industry.
They're major draws, with hit albums and an global fan base.
Yet the sister act will forever be their top focus.
"My sisters and I have been making music since I was a young child," says Alana. "There is no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."