🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" a message pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can be their newest bandmate."

There's just a key snag: The author likewise longs to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are not alone. A host of famous fans have also coveted the position.

One thing is obvious a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their musical journey performing shows at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy Award nominees.

Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a tight-knit unit. Their visuals often show them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that fans told us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a bass'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That's the ultimate compliment. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage people to make music."

"Therefore all are welcome to be the next member of Haim."

Award Nod

The band are connecting from a break, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.

They're presently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in the running for the award.

"I tune into the announcements every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

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

"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant milestone," adds Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the female artists that paved the way."

Emotional Upheaval and Laughter

The project came out of a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to let go.

The themes detail breakups and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they want to be.

"I love description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Evolution of Sound

That newfound resilience demanded 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 memoir," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."

Experiences and Shared Camaraderie

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

One man ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling 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 only darkness," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."

An Assured Path

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

They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an international following.

Yet the band will forever be their number one focus.

"We have been performing since I was little," shares Alana. "There is no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still making music."