🔗 Share this article

"When are you speaking to the Haim sisters?" an inquiry arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their extra sister."

However, there remains a key snag: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. What's more, we are far from alone. Multiple celebrated admirers have openly petitioned for the role.

One thing is obvious a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy Award nominees.

In the tradition of the most iconic bands, they're a close trio. Their music videos repeatedly show them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such pure exuberance you inevitably think, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."

"How often on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage young girls to start a band."

"So all is invited to be the honorary member of Haim."

Historic Milestone

The trio are speaking from a break, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.

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

"I tune into the lists every year, so it kind of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

The weight of the honor resonates with the band.

"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "But we're just grateful for the pioneers that paved the way."

Heartbreak and Candor

The project emerged from a period of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to let go.

The words detail breakups and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they aspire to be.

"I love description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."

Evolution of Style

That newfound resilience required a different sonic direction – more organic and immediate than anything the band had done before.

For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drum sound.

"Drums are such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.

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

Experiences and Shared Humor

The trio's openness shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.

A former partner ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.

"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."

A Confident Future

It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their place in the rock pantheon.

They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an global fan base.

Yet the band will forever be their number one focus.

"My sisters and I have been performing since I was a young child," shares Alana. "It's like no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still making music."