New York City-based band Brother Moses will bring a new foray of pop music to Gabe’s on Wednesday night.

The band consists of the multi-talented James Lockhart on vocals, guitar, and keyboard, drummer Cory Dill, and guitarists John-Lewis Anderson and Moses Gomez.

This is the first time the band has performed in Iowa City since 2016. The last time they visited, the members had been forced to sleep right on campus.

“Back then we just started out touring, if I’m not mistaken, that night we didn’t have anywhere to stay. We actually slept on hammocks on the college campus,” Lockhart said. “We got about four hours of sleep, but I don’t remember if it was sprinklers or rain, but we woke around 5:00 a.m. and we were wet.”

Dill is originally from Fort Dodge, Iowa. Although he wasn’t with the band when they first ventured into Iowa City, he said he was excited to return to familiar territory.

The band is currently touring in preparation of their upcoming album titled Desperation Pop, which will be released March 6. Dill described that their latest album’s title defines their genre, how they express melancholic sensations, but releases those characteristics through a different theme.

“It describes the urgency we’re feeling, the tension and stress — but it’s also pop music,” Dill said.

Although their music delves into moments of tension, James believes that their songs are made for listeners to participate by listening.

“What we try to do is take those life experiences that can be hard to deal with and we paint a picture with the music in the background that you can join in and be part of,” Lockhart said. “We try to have each song build to a point of release so you’re able to have a journey inside each of the songs.”

Anderson believes that the band is exploring new territory with their latest album, but fans will still be familiar with their style.

“I think we’re branching into a new sound. If you listen to our previous album, Magnolia, you’ll still hear hints of that but I think this is moving it into a different direction,” Anderson said.

Anderson said he found the band’s ability to play with multiple feelings while maintaining a fun quality to be an achievement.

“With this one, we were able to retain that emotionality and intense feeling while also a more polished product that people can really get into,” he said. “A lot of these songs are about striving for things and feeling desperate or isolated. But we tried to mix them in with moments of excitement, with a pop aesthetic.”

Gomez said he sees this as a feat for the group, believing this to be an effort that had every ounce of sweat put into its creation.

“I think a lot of people are going to listen to the songs and notice an overall shininess in the instrumentation,” Moses said. “I think we produced the hell out of this. I think we’ve been very intentional with the instruments and sounds we use. It feels more polished and present.”