🔗 Share this article Everyone is Welcome to Join as the Extra Haim Sister. Haim: "Being in a rock band is where our passion will always lie." "Any idea when you're interviewing the Haim sisters?" a message pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can be their extra sister." There is only a key snag: I also desires to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several celebrated fans have openly begged for the position. One thing is obvious something is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path playing gigs at small eateries with their family. Now they're multiple Grammy Award contenders. In the tradition of the greatest bands, they're a tight-knit gang. Their videos repeatedly show them marching in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such pure exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too." "The numerous instances on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I got a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the trio. "It is the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate people to start a band." "Therefore everyone gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim." The band's live shows have propelled them become staples of major events around the world. Award Recognition The trio are connecting from a break, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit. They're currently processing the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in contention for the trophy. "I follow the announcements every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I dreaming'?" The significance of the accolade is deeply felt by the sisters. "We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge step," says Alana. "But we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way." Heartbreak and Humour The album emerged from a period of transition. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that unique liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to start anew. The lyrics track endings and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in real time who they want to be. "That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I don't give what people think'." The trio topped a notable breakthrough poll in 2013, and have later secured several chart-topping albums. Development of Sound That developed toughness called for a different sonic direction – more organic and immediate than any of the music the band had done before. For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that was founded on the percussion. "Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says. "'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound." I Quit hones Haim's characteristic style, combining organic instrumentation with rhythmic beats and catchy pop melodies. Anecdotes and Collective Humor The band's candor fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic horror stories. A former partner ended things with Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight. "Experiencing these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible." The band concluded a major tour, but say they hope to tour again in the future. A Secure Path You can clearly sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their position in the music world. They're top-billed acts, with successful albums and an global audience. However the sister act will forever be their top commitment. "Me and my siblings have been performing since I was a young child," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."