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"Do you know when you'll be speaking to the band?" an inquiry pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can join as their fourth member."

There's just one problem: The sender also wants to be Haim's newest recruit. And we're in plentiful company. A host of celebrated admirers have also petitioned for the honor.

One thing is obvious an irresistible appeal is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their path doing sets at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as repeated Grammy contenders.

Like all the greatest groups, they're a close gang. Their music videos repeatedly feature them striding in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they jam with such unfettered happiness you inevitably think, "I wish to be part of that, too."

"How often on tour that audience members approached us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a drum kit'," states Alana, the most junior of the sisters. "That is the ultimate honor. That's an award in itself. Our mission is accomplished if we can motivate people to start a band."

"And thus everyone is invited to be the fourth part of the family."

Historic Milestone

The band are speaking from a break, where they're resting up after an lengthy tour in promoting their new album, I Quit.

They're presently processing the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in contention for the trophy.

"I watch the lists every year, so it kind of 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 imagining things'?"

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

"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a huge milestone," adds Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that paved the way."

Heartbreak and Laughter

The album came out of a period of transition. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd in-between place where you're happy to be free, but not quite ready to let go.

The words track endings and farewells. The sisters seek love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real life who they want to be.

"I adore description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice shutting out the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Evolution of Style

That newfound resilience called for a different sonic direction – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.

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

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

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our memoir," laughs Alana. "I've said it, our albums won't commence until we find the right drum sound."

Stories and Collective Camaraderie

The trio's honesty shaped the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating tales.

One man left Este over a medical concern. Alana shared a story of flying to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a casual gesture at midnight.

"During these setbacks, you just feel like there's no hope," says Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's therapeutic."

An Assured Path

It's not difficult sense a evolution in the band. These days, Haim are more assured of their place in the rock pantheon.

They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide following.

But Haim will always be their top commitment.

"My sisters and I have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still going strong."