🔗 Share this article

"When are you speaking to the band?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can be their fourth member."

There's just a key snag: The sender also wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. What's more, we are far from alone. A host of famous fans have publicly begged for the position.

The evidence suggests something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy contenders.

Like all the best bands, they're a inseparable trio. Their visuals often show them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such pure exuberance you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."

"The numerous instances on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the biggest compliment. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage others to form a group."

"And thus all is invited to be the fourth part of the family."

Award Nod

The group are connecting from a break, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.

They're right now processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first female band ever in contention for the prize.

"I tune into the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I dreaming'?"

The importance of the nomination isn't lost on the sisters.

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

Heartbreak and Candor

The record came out of a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that unique liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.

The lyrics detail departures and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've had. You can hear them working out in real life who they are becoming.

"I love summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Refinement of Style

That newfound confidence called for a different sonic direction – more unpolished and immediate than anything the band had done before.

For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drum sound.

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."

Experiences and Collective Camaraderie

The trio's openness inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic tales.

One man left Este over a medical consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.

"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."

An Assured Legacy

One can easily sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their position in the industry.

They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an international audience.

However Haim will forever be their number one focus.

"My sisters and I have been making music since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still making music."