🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be speaking to Haim?" an inquiry reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their fourth member."

There's just a single issue: I also longs to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are far from alone. Several high-profile supporters have openly coveted the position.

One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy Award nominees.

Like all the best ensembles, they're a inseparable trio. Their visuals frequently show them walking in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you can't help but think, "I want to be part of that, too."

"The numerous instances on tour that fans approached us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the greatest compliment. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire others to make music."

"And thus everyone is invited to be the next Haim sister."

Grammy Nod

The trio have called into their homes, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in for their latest album, I Quit.

They're presently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in contention for the award.

"I follow the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"

The significance of the accolade resonates with the trio.

"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "However we're just thankful for the women that inspired us."

Heartbreak and Laughter

The project was born from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that unique in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to move on.

The themes follow departures and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them working out in real time who they are becoming.

"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Refinement of Style

That recent confidence called for a different sonic direction – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.

For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drum sound.

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."

Anecdotes and Collective Humor

The band's candor fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their personal tales.

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

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

A Confident Path

You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their place in the rock pantheon.

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

However Haim will forever be their top priority.

"My sisters and I have been making music since I was a young child," concludes 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 kicking."