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"Any idea when you're speaking to the band?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can be their fourth member."

There's just one problem: The sender also wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Multiple high-profile supporters have also petitioned for the honor.

The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their path playing gigs at local delicatessens with their family. Now they're repeated Grammy Award nominees.

In the tradition of the best ensembles, they're a tight-knit gang. Their visuals often show them striding in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. On stage, they play with such pure joy you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."

"The amount of times on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a guitar'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the greatest honour. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire people to make music."

"Therefore everyone is invited to be the honorary part of the family."

Historic Milestone

The band are speaking from home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.

They're presently reeling from the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in contention for the award.

"I watch the lists every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this right or am I dreaming'?"

The importance of the honor resonates with the band.

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

Emotional Upheaval and Humour

The record emerged from a time of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music captures that unique in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to let go.

The lyrics track breakups and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've got. You can hear them working out in real time who they aspire to be.

"That's a perfect description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to actively work on shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Evolution of Music

That recent confidence called for a different sonic direction – more organic and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.

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

"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our book," quips Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."

Stories and Collective Camaraderie

The band's candor fueled the album's marketing, where the sisters shared some of their dating horror stories.

One man left Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's incredible."

A Confident Future

You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.

They're major draws, with successful albums and an global audience.

Yet the sister act will always be their number one priority.

"We have been playing music since I was little," shares Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still kicking."