🔗 Share this article

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

There's just one problem: I also longs to be Haim's newest recruit. And we're in plentiful company. Several high-profile supporters have publicly coveted the role.

It's clear something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award nominees.

Similar to the best bands, they're a close trio. Their visuals repeatedly feature them striding in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such unfettered joy you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'After your show, I got a bass'," says Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the biggest honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage people to start a band."

"Therefore everyone are welcome to be the next Haim sister."

Historic Recognition

The band have called into their homes, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.

They're presently processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first female band ever in contention for the prize.

"I follow the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"

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

"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge milestone," says Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that paved the way."

Personal Turmoil and Humour

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

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

"That's a perfect summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Refinement of Style

That recent toughness required a new sound – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drums.

"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.

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

Stories and Shared Laughter

The trio's candor fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal 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 friendly slap at midnight.

"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

An Assured Legacy

It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.

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

Yet the band will consistently be their top commitment.

"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still kicking."