🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the Haim sisters?" a message reads. "My request was to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."

There's just a key snag: I also wants to be Haim's newest recruit. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Multiple high-profile supporters have openly coveted the position.

It's clear an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career playing gigs at small eateries with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy nominees.

Similar to the best ensembles, they're a tight-knit trio. Their videos often feature them striding in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such pure happiness you can't help but think, "I want to be part of that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate young girls to make music."

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

Grammy Nod

The group are speaking from home, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in support of their latest album, I Quit.

They're currently celebrating the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-woman band ever in contention for the award.

"I watch the lists every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"

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

"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major milestone," continues Alana. "However we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."

Heartbreak and Humour

The record came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that odd in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to move on.

The lyrics track departures and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real time who they want to be.

"I adore description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Refinement of Music

That developed resilience called for a different sonic direction – more organic and direct than anything the band had done before.

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

"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.

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

Experiences and Shared Laughter

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

Someone ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.

"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's incredible."

An Assured Legacy

You can clearly sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their standing in the rock pantheon.

They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide following.

Yet Haim will always be their primary focus.

"We have been performing since I was a young child," says Alana. "There is nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still making music."