A seasoned gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering slot machines and casino culture in urban settings.
"When are you chatting with the band?" a text pops up. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."
There is only one problem: I also wants to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are not alone. Multiple high-profile admirers have publicly begged for the role.
One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are repeated Grammy contenders.
Similar to the most iconic ensembles, they're a tight-knit trio. Their visuals repeatedly show them striding in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such unfettered happiness you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be part of that, too."
"The amount of times on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That's the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage young girls to make music."
"Therefore everyone are welcome to be the honorary part of the family."
The trio have called into home, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in for their latest album, I Quit.
They're currently processing the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in the running for the prize.
"I watch the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I imagining things'?"
The weight of the accolade isn't lost on the band.
"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge achievement," continues Alana. "However we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."
The record came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that odd transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to let go.
The themes follow breakups and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real time who they aspire to be.
"That's a perfect description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."
That developed toughness required a fresh approach – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.
For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drum sound.
"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.
"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."
The band's honesty fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their romantic misadventures.
One man ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.
"When you're going through these heartbreaks, 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 so amazing."
It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon.
They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an international audience.
Yet the band will always be their primary commitment.
"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."
A seasoned gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering slot machines and casino culture in urban settings.