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"When are you chatting with the band?" a message arrives. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."

There is only a key snag: The sender also longs to be Haim's newest recruit. What's more, we are in plentiful company. Several high-profile fans have openly petitioned for the role.

The evidence suggests an irresistible appeal is at play. The siblings Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy contenders.

Like all the greatest groups, they're a close unit. Their videos frequently feature them striding in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. In concert, they jam with such boundless exuberance you inevitably think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."

"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I got a drum kit'," remarks Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the ultimate honour. It is a prize in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate young girls to start a band."

"Therefore everyone are welcome to be the fourth Haim sister."

Grammy Nod

The trio are connecting from home, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in support of 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 contention for the trophy.

"I watch the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

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

"We really set out to make a rock album this time, so it's a huge milestone," adds Alana. "However we're just appreciative for the women that came before us."

Heartbreak and Laughter

The record was born from a phase of personal change. All three sisters ended up single, and the music captures that odd transitional period where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to start anew.

The lyrics detail breakups and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real time who they are becoming.

"I love description, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to consciously practice shutting out the outside opinions and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Evolution of Style

That developed resilience required a different sonic direction – more organic and powerful than anything the band had done before.

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

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

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

Anecdotes and Collective Laughter

The trio's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their romantic misadventures.

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

"During these breakups, you just feel like there's no light," says Alana. "So to be able to share those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's therapeutic."

An Assured Legacy

You can clearly sense a evolution in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their place in the rock pantheon.

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

Yet the sister act will always be their primary priority.

"My sisters and I have been making music since I was four," says Alana. "There is nothing else that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."