"We all come from different musical backgrounds," Bob Hoffmann explains. "I'm into classic Brit pop, Tommy is a funk and jazz guy, and Emile loves Hendrix, Bowie, and the blues."

That diversity is on ample display on Summer Set, the band's first full album. From the Celtic folk of "Stories" to the searing modern blues of "Sharks" to the post modern 60's pop of "I Found You," the band seems to relish changing gears on the fly, an approach that carries over to their live performances.

"We spend a lot of time in the studio crafting our arrangements," Menasché says. "But when we perform, it's just the three of us, and we break each song down to its essence. Instead of these careful arrangments, we end up improvising a lot of the parts. The funny thing is, both approaches sound like us."