All Fans Are Encouraged to Become the Fourth Haim Sisters Member.

The Haim sisters performing together
The Band: "Performing as a unit is where our true purpose will forever reside."

"When are you chatting with Haim?" an inquiry pops up. "My request was to ask if I can become their fourth member."

There's just one problem: The sender also wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. What's more, we are far from alone. Multiple celebrated fans have also begged for the position.

The evidence suggests something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.

Similar to the best groups, they're a close trio. Their music videos frequently show them walking in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they play 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, 'Watching you live, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the trio. "That's the greatest honor. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire others to form a group."

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

Haim performing at a large festival
The group's concert performances have helped them become staples of line-ups around Europe.

Grammy Milestone

The band are speaking from their homes, where they're resting up after an major tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.

They're right now celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in the running for the award.

"I follow the lists every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is announced," says Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

The weight of the honor resonates with the trio.

"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a major milestone," continues Alana. "But we're just thankful for the female artists that paved the way."

Personal Turmoil and Humour

The record emerged from a phase of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that strange in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.

The themes track endings and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them working out in real life who they want to be.

"That's a perfect description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Haim album covers and career milestones
The band topped a prestigious breakthrough list in 2013, and have subsequently achieved several successful albums.

Evolution of Sound

That recent confidence required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and direct than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that started with the percussion.

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

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

Haim in the studio working on music
I Quit hones the band's characteristic style, merging guitar-driven rock with contemporary rhythms and memorable pop hooks.

Stories and Collective Laughter

The band's candor shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their personal tales.

Someone ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana told a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

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

Haim on stage during their recent tour
The band recently wrapped up a six-month tour, but state they hope to perform live in the future.

A Secure Legacy

One can easily sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their place in the music world.

They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an international audience.

However Haim will always be their top focus.

"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still going strong."

Savannah Walker
Savannah Walker

An adventurous travel writer with a passion for uncovering the UK's best-kept secrets and sharing them with fellow explorers.