🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" an inquiry pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can become their fourth member."

However, there remains a key snag: The sender also desires to be Haim's fourth member. What's more, we are not alone. Several celebrated fans have also coveted the role.

One thing is obvious something is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career performing shows at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy nominees.

In the tradition of the greatest bands, they're a inseparable unit. Their music videos frequently show them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."

"The numerous instances on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a guitar'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire young girls to make music."

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

Grammy Nod

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

They're currently processing the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the first all-female band ever in contention for the trophy.

"I watch the announcements every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I dreaming'?"

The significance of the nomination is deeply felt by the sisters.

"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant milestone," says Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the pioneers that came before us."

Personal Turmoil and Laughter

The record was born from a period of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that strange in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.

The lyrics detail endings and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they want to be.

"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."

Refinement of Sound

That developed toughness called for a different sonic direction – more raw 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 detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."

Stories and Shared Camaraderie

The trio's honesty inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their personal horror stories.

Someone ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana shared a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.

"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

An Assured Future

You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon.

They're major draws, with successful albums and an worldwide audience.

But Haim will always be their number one commitment.

"We have been making music since I was little," says Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still kicking."