🔗 Share this article

"When are you chatting with the band?" a message arrives. "My request was to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."

There's just a single issue: I also longs to be the Haims' newest recruit. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Multiple high-profile fans have also begged for the position.

The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career doing sets at neighborhood delis with their parents. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.

Similar to the most iconic ensembles, they're a close trio. Their videos repeatedly depict them walking in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they jam with such boundless joy you inevitably think, "I want to be part of that, too."

"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest honor. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to form a group."

"Therefore everyone gets an invitation to be the next Haim sister."

Grammy Milestone

The trio are connecting from a break, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.

They're currently processing the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in contention for the prize.

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

The weight of the accolade resonates with the band.

"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge step," adds Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the pioneers that paved the way."

Heartbreak and Candor

The album came out of a period of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to move on.

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

"I adore description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Refinement of Style

That newfound toughness called for 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 drum sound.

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."

Stories and Shared Laughter

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

One man left 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.

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

A Secure Future

It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the music world.

They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an global fan base.

Yet Haim will always be their number one priority.

"My sisters and I have been performing since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "There is no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."