🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the Haim sisters?" an inquiry reads. "I wanted to ask if I can be their extra sister."

There's just one problem: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. A host of famous fans have publicly petitioned for the honor.

The evidence suggests something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're repeated Grammy contenders.

Like all the greatest bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their music videos frequently depict them marching in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such boundless happiness you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that fans approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That's the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire young girls to start a band."

"And thus all is invited to be the fourth part of the family."

Award Recognition

The trio are speaking from home, where they're recovering after an major tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.

They're currently processing the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first female band ever in consideration for the prize.

"I tune into the nominations every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

The importance of the honor isn't lost on the band.

"We truly set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge achievement," adds Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."

Emotional Upheaval and Candor

The record came out of a phase of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that strange liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.

The themes follow endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them working out in real life who they want to be.

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

Development of Style

That developed confidence required a different sonic direction – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.

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

"Drums are such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.

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

Experiences and Shared Laughter

The trio's candor shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their dating misadventures.

A former partner broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."

A Confident Future

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

They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an international audience.

But the band will consistently be their top priority.

"We have been playing music since I was little," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still kicking."