🔗 Share this article

"When are you interviewing the Haim sisters?" a message reads. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their fourth member."

There's just a key snag: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' newest recruit. And we're not alone. Several famous admirers have also begged for the honor.

It's clear a special quality is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award nominees.

In the tradition of the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their music videos often depict them marching in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such unfettered happiness you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be part of that, too."

"The numerous instances on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "It is the greatest honour. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to make music."

"Therefore anyone is invited to be the honorary part of the family."

Historic Milestone

The trio are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in for their latest album, I Quit.

They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.

"I follow the lists every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is called," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I hallucinating'?"

The importance of the honor resonates with the sisters.

"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge milestone," says Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the female artists that came before us."

Emotional Upheaval and Humour

The project was born from a time of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to move on.

The lyrics track endings and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in the moment who they want to be.

"I love summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."

Refinement of Music

That newfound resilience called for a fresh approach – more organic and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that began with the percussion.

"The drum sound is such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.

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

Stories and Collective Humor

The trio's honesty fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal misadventures.

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

"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."

A Confident Legacy

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

They're major draws, with successful albums and an international following.

But the band will forever be their top focus.

"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was a young child," says Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still kicking."