The influences for the punchy power pop of Language Arts might surprise some. The band said it draws significant inspiration from the pioneering acts that initially drew up the blueprints for rock.

"A lot of the music we have listened to, a lot of the music we love, is sort of the late '50s and early '60s stuff like Del Shannon and the Troggs," said Jamie McGaw, the drummer. "Stuff that really focused on the song. Songs that were about musicians stepping out of the way. A lot of that plays into the way we write."

Vocalist and guitarist Kurt Garin said the musicality of those early tracks appeals to him. He loves that the songs didn't have to be about anything, so long as they were appealing, accessible and fun.

"That's why I really concentrate on the chorus and melody and work from there," he said. "This is not serious material we are working with. It's fine that there are people that want to do that, but we really just want to be catchy first."

The decision to form as, and remain, a trio, plays into that ethos. Natalie Roberts, the bass player, said a trio encourages musicians to serve the song and play with a real role in mind.

"If one person messes up, it is noticeable," Mr. McGaw added with a laugh. "We actually had a couple of people offer to play guitar and we did mull it over. But in the end we decided against it. We like the way this works."