🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be interviewing Haim?" an inquiry reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their extra sister."

There is only a single issue: The author likewise wants to be Haim's newest recruit. Furthermore, we are not alone. A host of famous supporters have publicly coveted the position.

One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Today, they are repeated Grammy contenders.

Similar to the most iconic groups, they're a close unit. Their music videos frequently show them striding in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such unfettered exuberance you can't help but think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."

"How often on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the biggest honor. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire young girls to form a group."

"So anyone is invited to be the honorary Haim sister."

Award Recognition

The band have called into a break, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.

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

"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

The importance of the accolade resonates with the sisters.

"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge step," continues Alana. "However we're just grateful for the female artists that came before us."

Personal Turmoil and Candor

The project came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to move on.

The words follow breakups and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real time who they are becoming.

"That's a perfect summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to make an effort in shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Development of Sound

That recent toughness called for a different sonic direction – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.

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

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."

Anecdotes and Shared Laughter

The band's honesty fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating horror stories.

One man ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.

"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."

An Assured Future

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

They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an worldwide fan base.

Yet the band will always be their number one commitment.

"Me and my siblings have been performing since I was little," says Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."