🔗 Share this article

"Any idea when you're speaking to the Haim sisters?" a text arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their extra sister."

There's just a single issue: I also longs to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're in plentiful company. Several high-profile fans have also petitioned for the position.

One thing is obvious something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy contenders.

Similar to the greatest ensembles, they're a close gang. Their videos often show them walking in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such pure joy you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that audience members told us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a guitar'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That is the ultimate compliment. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate young girls to start a band."

"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the next member of Haim."

Grammy Nod

The band are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.

They're presently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running for the prize.

"I watch the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

The importance of the nomination is deeply felt by the sisters.

"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge achievement," adds Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."

Heartbreak and Humour

The record emerged from a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that odd liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.

The themes follow departures and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.

"That's a perfect summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Development of Sound

That recent toughness demanded a fresh approach – more organic and direct than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drum sound.

"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."

Experiences and Shared Laughter

The trio's candor inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their dating tales.

One man ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."

A Confident Future

It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.

They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide audience.

But Haim will forever be their number one commitment.

"My sisters and I have been making music since I was a young child," shares Alana. "There is nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."