"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" a text pops up. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
However, there remains a key snag: The sender also longs to be the Haims' newest recruit. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple high-profile supporters have publicly begged for the honor.
The evidence suggests something is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their path playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award nominees.
In the tradition of the most iconic groups, they're a close unit. Their music videos often show them striding in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such boundless happiness you can't help but think, "I wish to be part of that, too."
"How often 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 sisters. "It is the greatest honour. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire people to start a band."
"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the fourth part of the family."
The group are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.
They're presently processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in the running for the award.
"I follow the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I dreaming'?"
The importance of the nomination is deeply felt by the trio.
"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge milestone," continues Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the pioneers that inspired us."
The record came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that odd transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.
The themes track breakups and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they want to be.
"That's a perfect summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to make an effort in ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."
That newfound toughness demanded a different sonic direction – more raw and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.
"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."
The trio's candor shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal misadventures.
Someone left Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.
"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."
You can clearly sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their standing in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an global following.
However Haim will forever be their top priority.
"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was a young child," says Alana. "It's like no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."
A professional gambler and strategy analyst with over a decade of experience in casino games, specializing in roulette techniques and probability theory.
Denise Alvarez
Denise Alvarez
Denise Alvarez
Denise Alvarez
Denise Alvarez
Denise Alvarez