Everyone is Welcome to Be the Fourth Haim Bandmate.
"When are you chatting with Haim?" a text reads. "My request was to ask if I can be their extra sister."
There is only a key snag: The sender also desires to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. A host of high-profile supporters have openly begged for the position.
The evidence suggests something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy Award contenders.
In the tradition of the best groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their visuals often feature them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such boundless happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."
"The numerous instances on tour that audience members told us and said, 'After your show, I got a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the greatest honour. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire people to make music."
"And thus anyone is invited to be the next Haim sister."
Grammy Nod
The group are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in consideration for the prize.
"I follow the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"
The significance of the nomination isn't lost on the band.
"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant step," adds Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that paved the way."
Emotional Upheaval and Laughter
The project was born from a phase of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that odd in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.
The words detail breakups and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them working out in real life who they are becoming.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on blocking the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."
Refinement of Style
That newfound resilience required a different sonic direction – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drums.
"Drums are such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."
Stories and Shared Camaraderie
The band's candor shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal misadventures.
One man broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."
A Secure Future
You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.
They're major draws, with successful albums and an international audience.
But the sister act will forever be their number one commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still going strong."