🔗 Share this article

"When are you speaking to the Haim sisters?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."

There's just a key snag: I also wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Several famous admirers have publicly petitioned for the role.

It's clear an irresistible appeal is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy Award contenders.

In the tradition of the best groups, they're a close gang. Their videos often feature them walking in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a guitar'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That is the biggest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire others to start a band."

"Therefore everyone gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim."

Grammy Nod

The group are speaking from their homes, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.

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

"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, 'Did I hear this right or am I dreaming'?"

The importance of the accolade resonates with the band.

"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," adds Alana. "However we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."

Personal Turmoil and Laughter

The album came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that odd transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.

The themes follow endings and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real life who they want to be.

"I love summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to actively work on ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Refinement of Music

That recent confidence called for a new sound – more unpolished and immediate 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 focus so intensely about it," she says.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."

Anecdotes and Collective Laughter

The band's honesty shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal misadventures.

A former partner ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.

"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

A Confident Future

It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their standing in the music world.

They're major draws, with successful albums and an global following.

However Haim will forever be their number one commitment.

"We have been making music since I was four," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still making music."