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"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the Haim sisters?" an inquiry reads. "My request was to ask if I can join as their fourth member."

There's just one problem: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' newest recruit. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Several famous supporters have also begged for the role.

One thing is obvious a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy nominees.

Like all the most iconic groups, they're a tight-knit gang. Their music videos often feature them marching in harmony down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered exuberance you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."

"How often on tour that fans told us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I picked up a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the biggest honor. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can inspire people to make music."

"And thus anyone is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."

Historic Nod

The group are connecting from home, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.

They're presently processing the news it's been nominated for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering female band ever in contention for the trophy.

"I tune into the nominations every year, so it almost feels like a surreal movie when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I had to call my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I hallucinating'?"

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

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

Heartbreak and Humour

The album was born from a time of personal change. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that unique transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to move on.

The themes detail endings and goodbyes. The sisters want love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.

"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a slogan. You have to actively work on blocking the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Refinement of Style

That developed toughness demanded a new sound – more unpolished and direct than anything the band had done before.

For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the percussion.

"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she emphasizes.

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

Anecdotes and Shared Camaraderie

The band's candor shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating horror stories.

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

"When you're going through these setbacks, you just feel like there's only darkness," notes Alana. "Thus to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

A Secure Path

One can easily sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their place in the rock pantheon.

They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an global audience.

Yet the band will forever be their primary focus.

"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," says Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've reached this point and we're still kicking."