🔗 Share this article

"When are you interviewing Haim?" a message reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."

There's just a key snag: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are not alone. Multiple famous supporters have publicly coveted the honor.

It's clear a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy nominees.

Similar to the most iconic bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their music videos frequently depict them marching in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be part of that, too."

"How often on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the trio. "It is the greatest honor. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to make music."

"So anyone gets an invitation to be the honorary Haim sister."

Award Nod

The band have called into their homes, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.

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

"I tune into the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"

The importance of the accolade isn't lost on the trio.

"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge achievement," continues Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the women that paved the way."

Heartbreak and Candor

The record emerged from a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that strange transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to let go.

The lyrics follow endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real time who they aspire to be.

"I adore description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Evolution of Music

That recent resilience required a new sound – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.

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

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

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

Stories and Collective Laughter

The band's honesty fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their dating horror stories.

A former partner broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.

"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."

An Assured Future

One can easily sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their position in the industry.

They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an international fan base.

Yet the sister act will always be their top commitment.

"We have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."