🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the band?" a text pops up. "My request was to ask if I can be their fourth member."

However, there remains one problem: The author likewise wants to be Haim's newest recruit. And we're far from alone. Several high-profile fans have openly petitioned for the honor.

The evidence suggests something is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy nominees.

In the tradition of the most iconic bands, they're a tight-knit trio. Their visuals often show them striding in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such boundless exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be part of that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That is the greatest compliment. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire people to start a band."

"So everyone gets an invitation to be the next part of the family."

Award Recognition

The trio are connecting from a break, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in for their new album, I Quit.

They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in contention for the award.

"I follow the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"

The weight of the honor is deeply felt by the sisters.

"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant milestone," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."

Emotional Upheaval and Humour

The project came out of a period of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that strange transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to let go.

The lyrics detail endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they want to be.

"I love summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Development of Sound

That newfound resilience required a new sound – more unpolished and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drum sound.

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."

Anecdotes and Shared Humor

The trio's openness fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their personal horror stories.

Someone ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"During these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."

A Secure Legacy

It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their place in the industry.

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

However the sister act will consistently be their primary commitment.

"My sisters and I have been making music since I was little," concludes Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."