🔗 Share this article

"Any idea when you're speaking to the band?" a message pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."

There is only a single issue: I also desires to be Haim's fourth member. What's more, we are far from alone. A host of celebrated supporters have publicly begged for the position.

The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award contenders.

Like all the most iconic bands, they're a tight-knit unit. Their visuals often show them walking in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such pure exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I want to be involved in that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate young girls to make music."

"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the next Haim sister."

Historic Nod

The band have called into their homes, 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 nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in contention for the prize.

"I follow the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"

The importance of the accolade resonates with the band.

"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge step," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the women that paved the way."

Emotional Upheaval and Laughter

The record came out of a phase of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.

The words track breakups and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they want to be.

"That's a perfect summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on ignoring the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Refinement of Music

That developed confidence called for a fresh approach – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the percussion.

"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."

Experiences and Collective Laughter

The band's candor shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their personal misadventures.

A former partner broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.

"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."

A Secure Path

One can easily sense a shift in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their place in the rock pantheon.

They're major draws, with successful albums and an global fan base.

But the sister act will always be their primary focus.

"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still going strong."