🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the band?" a text arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."

There's just a single issue: The sender also longs to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several high-profile admirers have publicly coveted the position.

It's clear something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are repeated Grammy Award nominees.

In the tradition of the best bands, they're a tight-knit trio. Their music videos often feature them marching in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such boundless happiness you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."

"The numerous instances on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a bass'," states Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage people to start a band."

"Therefore everyone are welcome to be the next part of the family."

Grammy Nod

The group have called into their homes, where they're taking a pause after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.

They're presently processing the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in consideration for the prize.

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

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

"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge achievement," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the women that inspired us."

Heartbreak and Laughter

The project came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.

The themes track breakups and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them determining in the moment who they want to be.

"I adore summary, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to consciously practice shutting out the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Refinement of Music

That recent resilience demanded a fresh approach – more raw and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.

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

"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she emphasizes.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."

Stories and Collective Laughter

The band's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating horror stories.

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

"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."

A Confident Path

You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their place in the music world.

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

Yet Haim will forever be their primary priority.

"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was little," shares Alana. "It's like no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still going strong."