The World Are Welcome to Join as the Extra Haim Member.

The Haim sisters performing together
The Sister Trio: "Playing music together is where our heart and soul will always be found."

"Do you know when you'll be speaking to Haim?" an inquiry arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their fourth member."

There is only a key snag: I also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several high-profile supporters have publicly begged for the role.

One thing is obvious a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their path doing sets at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award nominees.

In the tradition of the best bands, they're a close trio. Their visuals often show them striding in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that fans told us and said, 'Watching you live, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the trio. "That is the biggest honor. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage young girls to start a band."

"And thus all is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."

Haim performing at a large festival
The group's live shows have seen them ascend to headliner status of festival bills throughout the world.

Award Recognition

The band are speaking from home, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.

They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in the running for the award.

"I watch the announcements every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

The weight of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.

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

Personal Turmoil and Candor

The album came out of a time of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that odd in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.

The words detail breakups and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they aspire to be.

"That's a perfect description, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to consciously practice ignoring the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Haim album covers and career milestones
The band topped a notable new artist survey in 2013, and have since then scored several top 10 albums.

Development of Music

That recent confidence called for a fresh approach – more unpolished and direct than anything the band had done before.

For Danielle, who co-produced the album, that started with the drum sound.

"Percussion is such a specific thing, and I am so passionate about it," she states.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," jokes Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."

Haim in the studio working on music
I Quit refines the band's characteristic style, mixing guitar-driven rock with rhythmic rhythms and hooky pop tunes.

Stories and Shared Humor

The trio's candor fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic tales.

A former partner left Este over a health consideration. Alana shared 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 hope," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

Haim on stage during their recent tour
The band just finished a six-month tour, but say they aim to hit the road in the future.

A Secure Future

You can clearly sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their place in the industry.

They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an worldwide fan base.

Yet Haim will consistently be their number one focus.

"We have been making music since I was four," says Alana. "There is nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still going strong."

Damon Mcmahon
Damon Mcmahon

Lena Visser is a tech journalist and strategist with a passion for exploring the intersection of technology and society.