🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be chatting with the Haim sisters?" a text reads. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."

There's just a single issue: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. A host of high-profile fans have also petitioned for the position.

One thing is obvious a special quality is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy hopefuls.

Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable unit. Their videos frequently feature them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such unfettered joy you can't help but think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."

"The numerous instances on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a bass'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "It is the ultimate honor. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to form a group."

"Therefore everyone is invited to be the next member of Haim."

Historic Nod

The band are speaking from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.

They're right now processing the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in the running 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," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"

The importance of the honor resonates with the band.

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

Emotional Upheaval and Humour

The project came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.

The themes track departures and partings. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.

"I love description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to make an effort in ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."

Evolution of Style

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

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

"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."

Stories and Shared Humor

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

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

"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."

An Assured Path

You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the rock pantheon.

They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international fan base.

However the sister act will always be their top focus.

"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."