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"Any idea when you're speaking to the Haim sisters?" a text pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can join as their newest bandmate."

However, there remains a single issue: The sender also wants to be the Haims' additional sibling. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several famous admirers have openly begged for the role.

The evidence suggests a special quality is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path performing shows at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy contenders.

Like all the best groups, they're a close unit. Their visuals frequently show them marching in harmony down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such boundless joy you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."

"How often on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a guitar'," says Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the ultimate honour. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire people to start a band."

"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the fourth member of Haim."

Award Milestone

The group are speaking from their homes, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in support of their new album, I Quit.

They're right now reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in the running for the prize.

"I tune into the lists every year, so it almost feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"

The importance of the honor isn't lost on the sisters.

"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major step," adds Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the pioneers that paved the way."

Heartbreak and Candor

The album emerged from a time of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that unique transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.

The words follow departures and farewells. The sisters want love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in the moment who they are becoming.

"I adore way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Evolution of Music

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

For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the drum sound.

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," quips Alana. "Our motto is, our albums cannot begin until we find the right drum sound."

Stories and Collective Laughter

The trio's candor shaped the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their dating tales.

One man left Este over a medical consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.

"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

A Secure Path

You can clearly sense a change in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their position in the rock pantheon.

They're top-billed acts, with hit albums and an international audience.

But the sister act will always be their top priority.

"My sisters and I have been performing since I was little," says Alana. "It feels as if nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've gotten here and we're still going strong."