The World is Welcome to Become the Extra Haim Sisters Sister.
"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the Haim sisters?" an inquiry arrives. "My request was to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."
There is only a single issue: The author likewise longs to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are not alone. Multiple celebrated supporters have also coveted the honor.
It's clear something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy Award nominees.
Similar to the greatest groups, they're a tight-knit trio. Their music videos repeatedly feature them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such boundless happiness you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to form a group."
"So all gets an invitation to be the fourth Haim sister."
Grammy Recognition
The band are connecting from a break, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in consideration for the trophy.
"I follow the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The weight of the nomination isn't lost on the band.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge milestone," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that came before us."
Heartbreak and Laughter
The project emerged from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to move on.
The lyrics follow breakups and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them working out in real time who they are becoming.
"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
Evolution of Music
That recent toughness demanded a fresh approach – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the percussion.
"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."
Anecdotes and Shared Humor
The trio's candor inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic horror stories.
One man broke up with Este over a medical concern. 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 light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
A Confident Legacy
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their position in the music world.
They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an worldwide following.
Yet Haim will always be their number one priority.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still kicking."