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"Do you know when you'll be interviewing the band?" an inquiry pops up. "I was hoping to ask if I can become their fourth member."

There is only a single issue: The author likewise longs to be Haim's additional sibling. Furthermore, we are far from alone. Multiple famous admirers have publicly begged for the position.

The evidence suggests a special quality is at play. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana launched their musical journey performing shows at small eateries with their family. Today, they are multiple Grammy nominees.

In the tradition of the greatest ensembles, they're a close unit. Their videos frequently feature them walking in unison down the avenues of Los Angeles. In concert, they play with such pure joy you can't help but think, "I wish to be involved in that, too."

"How often on tour that young girls approached us and said, 'Watching you live, I picked up a drum kit'," says Alana, the youngest of the sisters. "That's the greatest honour. That is recognition in itself. We've done our job if we can motivate others to form a group."

"Therefore all is invited to be the fourth member of Haim."

Historic Nod

The band are speaking from a break, where they're recovering after an major tour in for their fourth album, I Quit.

They're currently celebrating the news it's been shortlisted for a top rock honor at the Grammy Awards – with Haim the pioneering all-woman band ever in contention for the award.

"I tune into the nominations every year, so it sort of feels like The Truman Show when your name is read out," notes Alana. "I needed to phone my sisters to say, 'Did I hear this correctly or am I dreaming'?"

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

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

Emotional Upheaval and Laughter

The album came out of a period of emotional upheaval. All three sisters found themselves single, and the music explores that odd transitional period where you're glad to be free, but not quite ready to let go.

The themes follow endings and partings. The sisters desire love, but not the relationships they've experienced. You can hear them determining in the moment who they are becoming.

"I love way of putting it, yes," says Danielle. "I Quit is like a mantra. You have to actively work on shutting out the criticism and saying, 'It doesn't matter to me what people think'."

Refinement of Sound

That recent toughness required a different sonic direction – more unpolished and powerful than any of the music the band had done before.

For Danielle, who worked on producing the album, that was founded on the percussion.

"The drum sound is such a nuanced thing, and I focus so intensely about it," she states.

"'Journey of the drum sound' will be the subject of our book," quips 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 rollout, where the sisters revealed some of their personal misadventures.

One man ended things with Este over a medical concern. Alana recalled a story of travelling to celebrate New Year's Eve with someone, only to receive a high five at midnight.

"When you're going through these heartbreaks, you just feel like there's only darkness," explains Alana. "So to be able to laugh at those stories and hear others tell you wilder stories, it's incredible."

A Secure Legacy

You can clearly sense a shift in the band. These days, Haim are more certain of their standing in the rock pantheon.

They're festival headliners, with chart-topping albums and an worldwide audience.

But Haim will forever be their number one focus.

"Me and my siblings have been playing music since I was four," concludes Alana. "It's like no alternative that we were destined for. And I'm really fortunate we've gotten here and we're still making music."