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"When are you speaking to the Haim sisters?" an inquiry pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their extra sister."

There's just a key snag: The sender also longs to be Haim's additional sibling. What's more, we are far from alone. Multiple high-profile admirers have openly petitioned for the position.

The evidence suggests a special quality is going on. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey doing sets at neighborhood delis with their family. Now they're multi-time Grammy Award contenders.

Like all the best ensembles, they're a close unit. Their visuals frequently show them striding in sync down the streets of Los Angeles. During performances, they play with such pure happiness you inevitably think, "I'd love to be part of that, too."

"How often on tour that young girls came up to us and said, 'After your show, I picked up a guitar'," remarks Alana, the most junior of the Haim siblings. "It is the greatest honor. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can inspire people to start a band."

"So everyone gets an invitation to be the fourth member of Haim."

Award Recognition

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

They're right now processing the news it's been nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys – with Haim the pioneering all-female band ever in the running for the trophy.

"I follow the nominations every year, so it kind of feels like an out-of-body experience when your name is read out," explains Alana. "I immediately called my sisters to say, 'Am I hearing this correctly or am I hallucinating'?"

The weight of the honor resonates with the band.

"We deliberately set out to make a guitar-driven album this time, so it's a huge achievement," says Alana. "Yet we're just grateful for the female artists that inspired us."

Personal Turmoil and Humour

The album came out of a phase of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that strange in-between place where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to let go.

The lyrics track breakups and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the specific love they've experienced. You can hear them figuring out in real life who they aspire to be.

"That's a perfect way of putting it, yes," agrees Danielle. "I Quit is kind of like a personal statement. You have to make an effort in shutting out the noise and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Evolution of Style

That newfound toughness required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than anything the band had done before.

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

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

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

Anecdotes and Shared Humor

The trio's openness fueled the album's rollout, where the sisters shared some of their dating tales.

Someone ended things with Este over a health consideration. Alana recalled a story of flying 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 hope," explains Alana. "Therefore to be able to laugh at those stories and have them tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

A Secure Legacy

You can clearly sense a change in the band. Today, Haim are more confident of their position in the music world.

They're major draws, with chart-topping albums and an global audience.

But the sister act will consistently be their number one focus.

"My sisters and I have been performing since I was four," says Alana. "It feels as if no alternative that we were supposed to do. And I'm really grateful we've made it and we're still making music."