🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" a message arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their fourth member."

There's just a single issue: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're far from alone. Several famous supporters have also petitioned for the role.

One thing is obvious a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their family. Today, they are repeated Grammy Award hopefuls.

Similar to the most iconic ensembles, they're a inseparable gang. Their videos repeatedly show them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered joy you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."

"The numerous instances on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the biggest compliment. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate young girls to start a band."

"And thus all is invited to be the next part of the family."

Historic Milestone

The group are speaking from a break, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.

They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the award.

"I tune into the lists every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"

The importance of the nomination resonates with the sisters.

"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," adds Alana. "But we're just grateful for the female artists that came before us."

Emotional Upheaval and Candor

The album was born from a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music explores that unique transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.

The lyrics track breakups and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they aspire to be.

"I love summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Evolution of Style

That recent resilience required a fresh approach – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.

For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the drum sound.

"The drum sound is such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she says.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."

Experiences and Collective Laughter

The trio's openness inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.

A former partner left Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

A Secure Future

You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the music world.

They're major draws, with hit albums and an global following.

But the band will forever be their primary priority.

"We have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."