🔗 Share this article

"Any idea when you're interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their extra sister."

There is only a key snag: The author likewise longs to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several high-profile fans have openly coveted the position.

The evidence suggests something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career doing sets at small eateries with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy contenders.

In the tradition of the greatest groups, they're a inseparable trio. Their visuals frequently show them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such boundless exuberance you can't help but think, "I want to be involved in that, too."

"How often on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "It is the greatest honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage others to form a group."

"So anyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."

Grammy Nod

The band are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.

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

"I follow the announcements every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this right or am I imagining things'?"

The weight of the accolade isn't lost on the band.

"We truly set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the women that inspired us."

Heartbreak and Humour

The project was born from a phase of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that odd liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to let go.

The themes detail departures and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real time who they are becoming.

"That's a perfect description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to actively work on shutting out the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Refinement of Style

That developed resilience demanded a new sound – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.

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

"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.

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

Stories and Collective Humor

The trio's candor shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their dating tales.

One man broke up with Este over a health concern. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."

A Secure Future

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

They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an global audience.

However the sister act will forever be their number one priority.

"We have been playing music since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still making music."