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

There's just a key snag: I also desires to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are not alone. A host of famous admirers have openly coveted the honor.

It's clear a special quality is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at local delicatessens with their family. Today, they are multi-time Grammy Award nominees.

Similar to the best ensembles, they're a tight-knit unit. Their visuals repeatedly show them marching in harmony down the roads of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I want to be part of that, too."

"How often on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can encourage young girls to start a band."

"And thus everyone gets an invitation to be the fourth part of the family."

Award Recognition

The group have called into home, where they're taking a pause after an lengthy tour in support of their fourth album, I Quit.

They're currently reeling from the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammys – with Haim the very first all-female band ever in the running for the prize.

"I watch 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 correctly or am I hallucinating'?"

The importance of the accolade is deeply felt by the trio.

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

Personal Turmoil and Laughter

The project was born from a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that strange transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not yet ready to start anew.

The themes detail breakups and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they want to be.

"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a slogan. You have to actively work on blocking the criticism and saying, 'I don't give what people think'."

Evolution of Style

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

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

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our biography," laughs Alana. "Our motto is, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."

Experiences and Collective Laughter

The trio's candor inspired the album's marketing, where the sisters revealed some of their personal misadventures.

Someone left Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.

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

An Assured Path

It's not difficult sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more confident of their position in the rock pantheon.

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

Yet the band will always be their number one priority.

"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was little," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no other path that we were destined for. And I'm really thankful we've reached this point and we're still making music."