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"When are you speaking to the band?" an inquiry pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."

There is only a single issue: The sender also desires to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are far from alone. A host of high-profile supporters have openly begged for the role.

It's clear something is happening. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy contenders.

Like all the best groups, they're a inseparable gang. Their videos frequently feature them striding in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they perform with such boundless joy you can't help but think, "I'd love to be involved in that, too."

"How often on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a bass'," says Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That is the ultimate honor. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can encourage people to make music."

"And thus everyone is invited to be the fourth Haim sister."

Award Recognition

The group are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in support of their new album, I Quit.

They're presently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in the running for the prize.

"I tune into the lists every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

The significance of the accolade isn't lost on the band.

"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant milestone," continues Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the women that inspired us."

Heartbreak and Candor

The project was born from a period of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to move on.

The themes follow departures and partings. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them working out in real time who they aspire to be.

"I adore way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is like a slogan. You have to make an effort in blocking the noise and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."

Development of Sound

That developed toughness required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.

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

"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the ideal drum sound."

Stories and Shared Camaraderie

The trio's honesty shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their personal tales.

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

"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "Therefore to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

A Secure Path

It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.

They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an international fan base.

However the sister act will consistently be their number one commitment.

"We have been performing since I was four," concludes Alana. "There is nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still kicking."