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"Any idea when you're interviewing the Haim sisters?" a message pops up. "My request was to ask if I can be their fourth member."

There's just a single issue: The author likewise longs to be the Haims' newest recruit. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Multiple celebrated admirers have also petitioned for the honor.

It's clear a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey playing gigs at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy nominees.

In the tradition of the best bands, they're a inseparable trio. Their music videos repeatedly show them striding in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such pure happiness you find yourself thinking, "I want to be a piece of that, too."

"How often on tour that young girls told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I bought a drum kit'," states Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "It is the greatest honor. That is recognition in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage young girls to start a band."

"So all is invited to be the next part of the family."

Historic Nod

The group are speaking from a break, where they're recovering after an major tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.

They're currently processing the news it's been shortlisted for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-female band ever in contention for the award.

"I follow the lists every year, so it almost feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"

The significance of the honor is deeply felt by the trio.

"We truly set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant achievement," adds Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the pioneers that inspired us."

Heartbreak and Laughter

The project emerged from a phase of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique transitional period where you're happy to be free, but not yet ready to move on.

The lyrics follow breakups and farewells. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them working out in the moment who they are becoming.

"I love description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to actively work on blocking the outside opinions and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Development of Style

That newfound toughness called for a different sonic direction – more organic and direct than anything the band had done before.

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

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our biography," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums won't commence until we find the ideal drum sound."

Stories and Collective Camaraderie

The trio's candor shaped the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their dating tales.

A former partner broke up with Este over a health consideration. Alana told a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"Experiencing these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."

An Assured Legacy

It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their standing in the rock pantheon.

They're festival headliners, with successful albums and an global following.

Yet the sister act will consistently be their primary commitment.

"My sisters and I have been making music since I was a young child," says Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were supposed to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still making music."