Four projects and just shy of 90,000 likes on Facebook, the "diverse duo" Aer remains unsigned with any record label.

Aer, made up of David von Mering and Carter Schultz, has been successful since its start in April 2010. But despite its accomplishments, some wonder where the future of the group’s music will go without a major label.

But Max Gredinger, Aer’s manager, knows one thing is for certain with these two.

"Knowing [von Mering] and [Schultz], [their future] probably [holds] a lot more Panera Bread," Gredinger said.

Aer will play today at 7 p.m. at Blue Moose, 211 Iowa Ave. Admission ranges from $15 to$17.

Aer’s reason behind not signing with a record label is not a rebellious move but rather something of the opposite nature. The two, who have been friends since high school, have journeyed into the music industry together, which is the way they prefer to keep it — or as von Mering puts it, until they are "blown away."

"We don’t have anything against [record labels], but we do really feel strongly about adding someone to our business and our company," von Mering said. "We have managers and agents and tour managers, and everyone we have is close-knit, so if we’re going to work with you, we want to feel like you care and that it’s a tight bond."

One of the reasons the group is so close is the nature of their shows. Aer likes to bring the energy in all of its shows and also enjoys connecting with the audience in an emotional vein. Schultz said starting off the show, the two like to "make it as hype as possible," but they always keep the fans’ desires in mind and look to create a collective atmosphere.

"We really want all the fans to not feel like just seeing the show because they are also hanging out with us," Schultz said. "So in order to do that, we try to have a raw, personal, stripped-down vibe that is normally hip-hop oriented, then we wind down and bring the people the funky, groovy stuff. We try to have the show be goofy at times but also super emotional at times."

The musicians are able mesh the different vibes in their performances by not limiting themselves to one genre. They typically are compared with artists with varied sounds, but Schultz said it’s the fans’ choice on classifying them.

"Obviously, people want to make a connection, and we often see comparisons of Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, and Kid Cudi, but we kind of want people to decide that one on their own," he said.

One of the musical elements Aer often incorporates is hip-hop, especially when performing. In hip-hop, rappers may rhyme over samples from other songs, but von Mering said Aer has not tapped into that vein and never will.

"Hip-hop is huge," von Mering said. "We try to just have our drums pull from a lot of old-school hip-hop."

Besides more Panera, Aer’s vision of the future includes keeping the same formula that has worked since it started. Schultz said fans should also expect more content in the coming year.

"We’ve got more tours, some big announcements coming, more music videos, and definitely just working hard," Schultz said.

MUSIC