🔗 Share this article

"When are you interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry pops up. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."

There's just a key snag: I also wants to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are far from alone. A host of famous admirers have also coveted the position.

The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multi-time Grammy hopefuls.

Like all the best ensembles, they're a tight-knit unit. Their music videos frequently show them walking in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless joy you find yourself thinking, "I want to be part of that, too."

"The numerous instances on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a bass'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That's the biggest honor. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to start a band."

"And thus all are welcome to be the honorary Haim sister."

Grammy Nod

The trio are connecting from a break, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.

They're currently processing the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in consideration for the trophy.

"I follow the lists every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

The weight of the nomination isn't lost on the trio.

"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge achievement," says Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the female artists that came before us."

Emotional Upheaval and Humour

The record came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.

The words follow breakups and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they are becoming.

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

Development of Sound

That newfound toughness called for a fresh approach – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.

For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that began with the percussion.

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."

Experiences and Collective Humor

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

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

"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."

A Secure Legacy

You can clearly sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their standing in the industry.

They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global audience.

However Haim will always be their number one focus.

"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still kicking."