Post-hardcore band Chiodos will perform at Wooly’s in Des Moines on April 6. The band will be accompanied by ’68, Intentions, Porch Swing and Hello Ramona.

Lead vocalist Craig Owens began singing in elementary school. By the time he was 15, he had started his first project originally called Chiodos Bros.

“I first started singing in sixth grade. I remember my choir teacher pulled me aside and told me I really had a gift, and at the time I didn’t want to accept that because I really wanted to play sports. I got my first solo right away, and I saw how it affected people; it felt like a form of escapism for me,” Owens said. “I eventually started making my own music at 15, and I started Chiodos when I was 15.”

For their set at Wooly’s, fans should expect songs from all three albums in which Owens was the lead vocalist.

“There will most likely be stuff from ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ as well as ‘Bone Palace Ballet’ … and there will definitely be a lot of stuff from ‘Devil’ as this will be our tour promoting that,” Owens said.

In 2009, Owens was let go from the band. Chiodos released one album, “Illuminaudio,” with vocalist Brandon Bolmer. During this time, Owens formed another band called Destroy Rebuild Before God Shows or DRUGS. Eventually, we will see songs from both “Illuminaudio” and DRUGS performed by Chiodos, but it will not be on this tour.

“We talked about it, and I think we’re focused on doing the songs off of ‘Devil’ right now … we have talked about playing DRUGS songs and songs off of ‘Illuminaudio,’ but that won’t be until later tours most likely because our set list is so packed as it is with old throw-back songs as well as the new record. It is something that will happen,” Owens said.

This will be Chiodos’ first show in Iowa since Owens’ initial departure from the band.

“I would say that it has probably been 2008, 2009 since we have been in Iowa with this line-up since I have been with Chiodos. It’s gonna be a really exciting return,” Owens said. “I love playing Iowa; it’s always a great time. I think there’s a cool hidden music scene there because I feel like the fans are always angsty and really energetic which I love.”

With Owens returning to the band after a two and a half year hiatus, an adjustment period is to be expected, but his return seems to be more than welcomed.

“It does feel like the greater good of the band is coming together. It’s a scary experience because the past did happen and it wasn’t exactly amicable, but our reunion was,”  Owens said. “That’s what I think we have that we didn’t have before, the open mindedness and willingness to communicate and to listen to one another and treat each other more respectfully and be willing to work through everything this time around. I think we’ve grown up quite a bit. It’s awesome reconnecting with fans, and playing this awesome music that I was apart from for a while.”

So far, fans have had varying opinions of the new album.

“I think that because we haven’t released music in a really long time, everyone’s really excited. It is difficult on some people because I think that they in their head have us pinned as something that maybe we aren’t necessarily. I think that once they see us play these songs live, maybe they’ll get it a little bit more and kind of settle back in,” Owens said.

“Devil” sounds like a mix of both albums previously recorded with Owens, but brings in some new ideas as well.

“The record itself is reminiscent and has the angst of our first record, ‘All’s Well that Ends Well,’ but the musical vibes and the classical renditions, the orchestra and the piano driven songs of ‘Bone Palace Ballet,’ but also has better song structures, better focused visions, so it’s an evolution, but not a complete departure,” Owens said.

Chiodos will have a busy year ahead of them. They will be doing lots of promoting for “Devil,” and are also working on releasing some new videos. The band will be doing a lot more touring as well, including at least one other appearance this year in Des Moines.

“We shot videos for ‘Ole Fishlips is Dead Now’ and ‘3AM,’ and those will be coming out relatively soon. We’re doing two videos for a lot of the songs because we have visual partners which are the ones that have been released, and then we’re doing actual videos for some of them,” Owens said. “We actually are planning on coming to Des Moines a couple of times. On April 6th I will probably tell you when we are coming back.”

With Chiodos newly reformed, the band members will be sticking to simply making their careers as musicians fun and impactful.

“We definitely have a goal as a unit, and it may be so obvious that it is overlooked, and that is to make music and have fun together, and to do it in a successful fun way where we impact people’s lives. [We want to] rebuild what Chiodos was in our hearts and in our heads, and all for the right reasons,” Owens said. “I just want to let everybody know that Chiodos is back, and we’re here to stay.”