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"When are you interviewing the band?" a message reads. "I wanted to ask if I can be their extra sister."

There is only a single issue: The sender also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. A host of high-profile supporters have openly begged for the honor.

One thing is obvious a special quality is happening. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana started their career doing sets at local delicatessens with their family. Now they're repeated Grammy Award hopefuls.

In the tradition of the best bands, they're a tight-knit trio. Their music videos repeatedly feature them striding in unison down the streets of Los Angeles. On stage, they perform with such boundless exuberance you can't help but think, "I'd love to be a piece of that, too."

"How often on tour that audience members came up to us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a drum kit'," says Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "That's the ultimate compliment. That's an award in itself. We have succeeded if we can encourage young girls to form a group."

"So anyone gets an invitation to be the honorary part of the family."

Award Milestone

The band are connecting from a break, where they're resting up after an major tour in promoting their fourth album, I Quit.

They're presently processing the news it's been in the running for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – 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 a surreal movie when your name is announced," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I imagining things'?"

The importance of the honor resonates with the trio.

"We really set out to make a rock record this time, so it's a significant milestone," says Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the pioneers that came before us."

Emotional Upheaval and Humour

The project was born from a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters ended up single, and the music inhabits that unique liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not entirely ready to let go.

The themes follow endings and goodbyes. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've got. You can hear them determining in the moment who they aspire to be.

"That's a perfect summary, yes," responds Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a mantra. You have to actively work on shutting out the criticism and saying, 'I couldn't care less what people think'."

Refinement of Music

That newfound resilience required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and immediate than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who helped produce the album, that began with the drum sound.

"Percussion is such a detailed thing, and I am so passionate about it," she says.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the name of our book," jokes Alana. "I've said it, our albums don't start until we find the perfect drum sound."

Anecdotes and Collective Humor

The band's candor inspired the album's promotional campaign, where the sisters revealed some of their dating tales.

A former partner left Este over a health concern. Alana shared a story of travelling to spend New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.

"During these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's no light," notes Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you even crazier stories, it's so amazing."

An Assured Path

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

They're festival headliners, with hit albums and an worldwide following.

However the band will consistently be their primary priority.

"We have been making music since I was little," shares Alana. "There is no alternative that we were meant to do. And I'm really grateful we've reached this point and we're still making music."