🔗 Share this article

"Any idea when you're chatting with the band?" an inquiry reads. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."

However, there remains a single issue: I also wants to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are far from alone. A host of high-profile admirers have openly petitioned for the role.

The evidence suggests a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at small eateries with their family. Now they're multiple Grammy Award hopefuls.

Like all the greatest bands, they're a tight-knit unit. Their videos repeatedly feature them marching in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such boundless exuberance you can't help but think, "I want to be part of that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a guitar'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the ultimate honour. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire others to form a group."

"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the next Haim sister."

Award Milestone

The trio have called into a break, where they're recovering after an lengthy tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.

They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in the running for the prize.

"I watch the lists every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I dreaming'?"

The importance of the honor resonates with the trio.

"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major step," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the women that inspired us."

Emotional Upheaval and Laughter

The project was born from a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that strange in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.

The themes follow breakups and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in the moment who they aspire to be.

"I love description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to make an effort in blocking the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Development of Sound

That developed resilience required a fresh approach – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.

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

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."

Stories and Shared Camaraderie

The band's honesty shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.

One man broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.

"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

An Assured Legacy

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

They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an international following.

But Haim will always be their top priority.

"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still making music."