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"Any idea when you're chatting with the band?" an inquiry arrives. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their extra sister."

There is only a key snag: The sender also longs to be Haim's fourth member. And we're not alone. Several high-profile admirers have openly coveted the position.

The evidence suggests something is going on. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their parents. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award hopefuls.

In the tradition of the best bands, they're a close trio. Their visuals often show them marching in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such unfettered happiness you can't help but think, "I want to be part of that, too."

"How often on tour that fans came up to us and said, 'Seeing you perform, I got a guitar'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That's the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can inspire others to form a group."

"And thus anyone gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim."

Historic Nod

The group are connecting from home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in for their latest album, I Quit.

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

"I follow the lists every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," notes Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"

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

"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant achievement," says Alana. "But we're just appreciative for the pioneers that inspired us."

Emotional Upheaval and Laughter

The record came out of a phase of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.

The words detail breakups and goodbyes. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've had. You can hear them working out in real time who they are becoming.

"I adore way of putting it, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to consciously practice blocking the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."

Refinement of Style

That developed confidence called for a different sonic direction – more raw and direct than any of the music the band had done before.

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

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," laughs Alana. "I always say, our albums don't start until we find the right drum sound."

Anecdotes and Collective Camaraderie

The trio's openness fueled the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters shared some of their romantic horror stories.

One man ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana shared 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," explains Alana. "Thus to be able to share those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."

A Confident Future

You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Now, Haim are more confident of their standing in the music world.

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

Yet the band will forever be their primary focus.

"My sisters and I have been performing since I was four," shares Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."