🔗 Share this article

"When are you interviewing the band?" a text arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."

There is only a single issue: I also longs to be Haim's fourth member. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple celebrated supporters have also coveted the role.

The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their path doing sets at small eateries with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy contenders.

In the tradition of the most iconic ensembles, they're a tight-knit trio. Their visuals frequently depict them striding in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered joy you can't help but think, "I want to be a piece of that, too."

"How often on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'After your show, I bought a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate compliment. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can motivate young girls to make music."

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

Historic Milestone

The band have called into their homes, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in for their new album, I Quit.

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

"I watch the lists every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"

The significance of the accolade isn't lost on the band.

"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," adds Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."

Emotional Upheaval and Humour

The project came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.

The words track departures and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real time who they are becoming.

"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to actively work on shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."

Development of Music

That developed toughness demanded a new sound – more organic and direct than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the percussion.

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our memoir," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the perfect drum sound."

Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie

The trio's openness shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal horror stories.

Someone broke up with Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's no hope," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

An Assured Legacy

It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their place in the music world.

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

However the sister act will always be their top focus.

"We have been making music since I was four," shares Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still going strong."