🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the band?" an inquiry reads. "My request was to ask if I can be their fourth member."

There is only a key snag: I also desires to be the Haims' fourth member. What's more, we are far from alone. Multiple high-profile supporters have publicly coveted the position.

One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're repeated Grammy Award hopefuls.

Similar to the greatest groups, they're a tight-knit unit. Their visuals often show them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such pure exuberance you can't help but think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."

"How often on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest honour. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage people to make music."

"So all are welcome to be the honorary member of Haim."

Grammy Recognition

The group are connecting from their homes, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.

They're currently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in the running for the trophy.

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

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

"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge milestone," continues Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the women that paved the way."

Heartbreak and Laughter

The record came out of a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that strange in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.

The lyrics track endings and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them determining in real time who they are becoming.

"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Development of Sound

That developed confidence demanded a new sound – more organic and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on the drum sound.

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."

Stories and Collective Humor

The trio's honesty fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their dating misadventures.

One man ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.

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

A Secure Legacy

It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.

They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide following.

But the sister act will consistently be their number one focus.

"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still making music."