🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" a text pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their extra sister."

There's just one problem: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. And we're not alone. Multiple famous fans have openly petitioned for the honor.

The evidence suggests something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana started their career doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy hopefuls.

Similar to the most iconic ensembles, they're a inseparable gang. Their visuals repeatedly feature them striding in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered joy you find yourself thinking, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."

"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That is the biggest honor. It is a prize in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire young girls to start a band."

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

Grammy Recognition

The trio have called into a break, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their new album, I Quit.

They're currently reeling from 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 consideration for the award.

"I tune into the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is called," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"

The significance of the honor isn't lost on the sisters.

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

Personal Turmoil and Laughter

The record emerged from a phase of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to move on.

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

"I love way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Development of Style

That developed toughness required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.

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

"Drums are such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound."

Experiences and Collective Camaraderie

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

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

"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."

A Confident Future

It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their position in the music world.

They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an global fan base.

But Haim will forever be their primary commitment.

"My sisters and I have been performing since I was little," concludes Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still making music."