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"Any idea when you're chatting with Haim?" a message pops up. "I wanted to ask if I can become their newest bandmate."

There's just a single issue: The author likewise desires to be the Haims' fourth member. Furthermore, we are not alone. Several famous supporters have openly coveted the honor.

It's clear something is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their path playing gigs at small eateries with their parents. Presently, they stand as multiple Grammy Award nominees.

Like all the greatest ensembles, they're a tight-knit gang. Their videos often depict them marching in sync down the avenues of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such pure exuberance you find yourself thinking, "I wish to be a piece of that, too."

"The numerous instances on tour that audience members told us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a guitar'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the biggest compliment. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to start a band."

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

Historic Recognition

The group are connecting from home, where they're resting up after an extensive tour in for their latest album, I Quit.

They're currently processing the news it's been in the running for best rock album at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the first all-woman band ever in the running for the award.

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

The weight of the accolade is deeply felt by the band.

"We really set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a significant step," says Alana. "However we're just grateful for the women that inspired us."

Heartbreak and Candor

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

The lyrics follow breakups and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the kind of love they've experienced. You can hear them working out in real time who they want to be.

"I adore description, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is like a personal statement. You have to consciously practice ignoring the noise and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Development of Style

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

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

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

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

Stories and Shared Camaraderie

The band's openness inspired the album's rollout, where the sisters disclosed some of their dating tales.

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

"When you're going through these breakups, you just feel like there's only darkness," says Alana. "Thus to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's so amazing."

A Confident Path

You can clearly sense a change in the band. Now, Haim are more assured of their standing in the rock pantheon.

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

However Haim will forever be their number one focus.

"Me and my siblings have been making music since I was four," shares Alana. "It's like nothing else that we were meant to do. And I'm really fortunate we've made it and we're still going strong."