π Share this article Everyone is Encouraged to Be the Fourth Haim Sister. The Band: "Being in a rock band is where our heart and soul will always reside." "Any idea when you're interviewing the band?" an inquiry arrives. "My request was to ask if I can be their extra sister." There's just one problem: I also wants to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several high-profile supporters have openly begged for the honor. It's clear an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multiple Grammy contenders. Like all the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their videos often show them striding in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such boundless happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too." "How often on tour that audience members told us and said, 'After your show, I bought a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest honour. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to start a band." "And thus all is invited to be the next member of Haim." The band's gigs have propelled them rise to the top of major events across the world. Grammy Nod The trio have called into a break, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit. They're right now celebrating the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards β with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in contention for the award. "I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," says Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I imagining things'?" The weight of the nomination is deeply felt by the band. "We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a significant achievement," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the women that paved the way." Emotional Upheaval and Humour The album was born from a phase of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music captures that odd in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to let go. The lyrics follow breakups and partings. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they are becoming. "I adore way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to make an effort in blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'." The trio won a major new artist poll in 2013, and have subsequently secured multiple top 10 albums. Evolution of Style That developed resilience called for a fresh approach β more organic and direct than any of the music the band had done before. For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the drums. "The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she says. "'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the perfect drum sound." I Quit evolves the band's characteristic style, merging guitar-driven rock with hip-hop adjacent rhythms and memorable pop melodies. Stories and Shared Camaraderie The trio's honesty inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal horror stories. A former partner ended things with Este over a health concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight. "During these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing." The group recently wrapped up a six-month tour, but mention they aim to perform live in the coming years. A Secure Legacy It's not difficult sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon. They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an global fan base. Yet the sister act will forever be their number one commitment. "My sisters and I have been making music since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still making music."