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"Any idea when you're speaking to Haim?" a message reads. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."

There's just one problem: The author likewise wants to be the Haims' fourth member. And we're in plentiful company. Multiple famous supporters have openly petitioned for the honor.

It's clear a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey performing shows at neighborhood delis with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy contenders.

In the tradition of the most iconic ensembles, they're a close gang. Their music videos often depict them marching in sync down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such unfettered happiness you find yourself thinking, "I want to be part of that, too."

"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the biggest honour. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to form a group."

"And thus everyone are welcome to be the next part of the family."

Award Recognition

The group have called into a break, where they're taking a pause after an major tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.

They're currently reeling from the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first female band ever in contention for the prize.

"I follow the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like The Truman Show when your name is called," explains Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this right or am I dreaming'?"

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

"We deliberately set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just appreciative for the women that inspired us."

Emotional Upheaval and Humour

The album came out of a time of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that odd liminal space where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to let go.

The lyrics detail endings and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they want to be.

"That's a perfect summary, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is essentially a mantra. You have to make an effort in ignoring the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Refinement of Sound

That newfound confidence demanded a fresh approach – more raw and immediate than anything the band had done before.

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

"Percussion is such a nuanced thing, and I care so much about it," she states.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the title of our memoir," jokes Alana. "I always say, our albums cannot begin until we find the ideal drum sound."

Experiences and Collective Laughter

The band's candor inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal tales.

A former partner left Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying 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. "So to be able to find humor in those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."

A Confident Path

You can clearly sense a shift in the band. Now, Haim are more certain of their place in the rock pantheon.

They're top-billed acts, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide audience.

Yet the sister act will consistently be their top commitment.

"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was a young child," says Alana. "There is nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still kicking."