FASHION Magazine

There are three voices talking at once, and a blow-dryer is whirling at high speed via a long-distance call from Australia. The first remotely audible sound is from 24-year-old Danielle Haim, who immediately excuses herself from the interview to use the shower because her throat is feeling “nasty.” The second is from 27-year-old Este Haim, and the third is from 21-year-old Alana Haim, who blurts out a “Thanks for the call, man!” and shakes the receiver.

Alana apologizes for the lame, crackling phone connection and explains that this is how it always is with the sisters’ band, Haim. Overlapping thoughts. Different schedules happening at once. Various energy levels. “We are all-over-the-place crazy until it really matters,” she says, “but when it’s time to rock, everyone sits tight and has to work at the same speed. It was so much harder to work with other people. We’re best friends too.”

Alana says that in the midst of the chaos, they always have a trick up their sleeve—something that she feels other musical sister acts such as Heart, Tegan and Sara and CocoRosie must also share.

“We have this psychic sister thing going on that makes us finish [each other’s] sentences, lyrics and chords. It’s pretty weird for the average person, but for us, and I think for other sister groups, it’s a normal way to communicate.”