🔗 Share this article

"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" a message arrives. "My request was to ask if I can join as their extra sister."

There's just a single issue: The sender also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are far from alone. A host of celebrated fans have also begged for the role.

It's clear a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy hopefuls.

Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a inseparable gang. Their visuals frequently show them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they perform with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I want to be part of that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a guitar'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That's the greatest compliment. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage young girls to start a band."

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

Grammy Milestone

The trio are speaking from their homes, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in for their latest album, I Quit.

They're right now processing the news it's been nominated for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in contention for the award.

"I watch the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I imagining things'?"

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

"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."

Heartbreak and Humour

The album was born from a period of transition. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that odd liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to let go.

The lyrics track breakups and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've had. You can hear them working out in real life who they aspire to be.

"I adore summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to make an effort in blocking the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Development of Music

That newfound resilience demanded a fresh approach – more organic and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that was founded on the drums.

"Drums are such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.

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

Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie

The band's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their romantic tales.

One man left Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," explains Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."

An Assured Future

One can easily sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the industry.

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

However the sister act will always be their primary focus.

"We have been playing music since I was a young child," says Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."