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"When are you chatting with Haim?" a message arrives. "My request was to ask if I can become their extra sister."

There's just a key snag: The author likewise desires to be Haim's additional sibling. And we're far from alone. A host of celebrated admirers have openly petitioned for the role.

One thing is obvious a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their musical journey performing shows at local delicatessens with their parents. Presently, they stand as multi-time Grammy Award nominees.

Similar to the greatest groups, they're a close gang. Their videos frequently feature them marching in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, 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 audience members approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I bought a bass'," says Alana, the youngest of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest honor. That's an award in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate people to make music."

"So all gets an invitation to be the honorary member of Haim."

Award Milestone

The band are connecting from their homes, where they're recovering after an extensive tour in promoting their latest album, I Quit.

They're right now reeling from the news it's been in the running for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in contention for the trophy.

"I tune into the lists every year, so it sort of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is announced," says Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did we just hear this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"

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

"We deliberately set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a major achievement," adds Alana. "Yet we're just thankful for the female artists that inspired us."

Personal Turmoil and Candor

The project emerged from a period of personal change. All three sisters were single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're glad to be free, but not entirely ready to start anew.

The words follow breakups and partings. The sisters seek love, but not the relationships they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.

"I love way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to consciously practice ignoring the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Evolution of Sound

That developed confidence demanded a new sound – more raw and direct than anything the band had done before.

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

"Drums are such a specific thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she says.

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

Anecdotes and Collective Laughter

The band's honesty inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters disclosed some of their personal tales.

One man broke up with Este over a medical consideration. Alana shared a story of flying to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a friendly slap at midnight.

"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no hope," explains Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you more outrageous stories, it's therapeutic."

A Secure Future

It's not difficult sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more certain of their position in the rock pantheon.

They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an global fan base.

But the band will consistently be their number one priority.

"My sisters and I have been performing since I was a young child," concludes Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really thankful we've made it and we're still kicking."