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"Any idea when you're chatting with the Haim sisters?" an inquiry arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."

There's just a key snag: The sender also desires to be Haim's fourth member. Furthermore, we are in plentiful company. Several famous fans have openly coveted the role.

It's clear an irresistible appeal is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy Award contenders.

In the tradition of the best ensembles, they're a inseparable unit. Their videos often show them marching in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such pure joy you inevitably think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."

"The numerous instances on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the greatest honor. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate people to make music."

"Therefore all gets an invitation to be the next part of the family."

Historic Milestone

The trio have called into their homes, where they're recovering after an major tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.

They're presently celebrating the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.

"I watch the lists every year, so it sort of feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"

The weight of the honor resonates with the band.

"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant step," says Alana. "However we're just grateful for the pioneers that came before us."

Personal Turmoil and Candor

The record emerged from a time of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music explores that odd in-between place where you're relieved to be free, but not yet ready to let go.

The themes track departures and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they aspire to be.

"I adore description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a personal statement. You have to consciously practice shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."

Evolution of Sound

That recent resilience required a different sonic direction – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.

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

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our biography," quips Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."

Anecdotes and Collective Laughter

The band's honesty shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal misadventures.

A former partner ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"Experiencing these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and hear others tell you more outrageous stories, it's so amazing."

An Assured Path

One can easily sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their position in the industry.

They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an international audience.

Yet the band will forever be their number one commitment.

"We have been playing music since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."