🔗 Share this article

"Any idea when you're interviewing the band?" a text pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their extra sister."

However, there remains a key snag: The sender also wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. And we're in plentiful company. A host of famous supporters have publicly begged for the role.

One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.

Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a tight-knit unit. Their visuals frequently show them marching in unison down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such pure exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be involved in that, too."

"How often on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the biggest honor. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire young girls to make music."

"And thus all gets an invitation to be the fourth part of the family."

Grammy Milestone

The band are speaking from their homes, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.

They're right now reeling from the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in consideration for the prize.

"I tune into the lists every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"

The weight of the honor resonates with the trio.

"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge achievement," says Alana. "But we're just thankful for the women that came before us."

Emotional Upheaval and Humour

The project was born from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.

The words follow breakups and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.

"That's a perfect description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to make an effort in shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Evolution of Sound

That newfound toughness called for a new sound – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on the drums.

"Drums are such a detailed thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."

Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie

The trio's openness shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their dating misadventures.

Someone left Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.

"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."

A Secure Legacy

You can clearly sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their place in the music world.

They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide fan base.

However the sister act will consistently be their number one commitment.

"My sisters and I have been performing since I was four," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still making music."