In 1993, The Golden Republic’s lead vocalist, Ben Grimes, was busy listening to the Chemical Brothers and dreaming big.

“I said that someday I’m going to start a band, and I want it to be on Astralwerks [record label],” Grimes says.

On a label best known for house favorites Basement Jaxx or the trip-hopping Massive Attack, The Golden Republic has found its way in — and isn’t leaving.

Admittedly, its sound harkens back to an era when trip-hop was as non-existent as Google.

Referred to as “glam rock without the pretense” by Grimes, the members have taken the best of what the genre has to offer and left the BeDazzler at home.

“As far as musical influences, we draw in a lot of that ’70s glam rock stuff — musically, not the ethics or the fashion of it,” Grimes says.

With its sound, Grimes says, he feels the band has created a niche for itself. That’s no small feat against a backdrop awash in art-rock and throwback, readily heard in bands such as Franz Ferdinand and the Killers, he said.

Grimes, however, sees those likely contenders as less than revolutionary.

“I feel a lot of those bands are built around a sound more than they are around songs or ideology,” he says.

Most importantly, he says the merits of quality songwriting outweigh attempts at simply sounding cool.

“We’ve tried to reject that; we don’t want to grab onto a certain thing and make that our image,” Grimes says.

With a new album in tow, The Golden Republic is on its own for the first time after extensive tours with bands such as Idlewild and Nada Surf.

“It’s a lot more punk rock and a little more D.I.Y.,” Grimes says.

Being part of a package tour has it perks, however, as Grimes found himself consulting road-worn veterans for sage advice. A self-admitted very nervous person, Grimes says he looked to Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws for tips on being a frontman.

“For me being the voice, it’s nerve-racking,” Grimes says.

But if there’s one place you can let your hair down and take your shoes off, it’s home. Coming out of Kansas City, The Golden Republic is embraced by the local music community and, in turn, have held hands with some interesting rock outfits.

“We have people from the local death metal shows come out to our shows, and we go to a lot of theirs,” Grimes says.

Don’t expect The Golden Repulic to come busting into the room anytime soon, though.

“We’re a very tame band … one of those bands that likes to drink tea and go to bed early,” Grimes says.

Even after playing the trendy clubs of the West Coast, Grimes says he still finds the Maintenance Shop one of his favorite places in the country to play. And with what he hopes to be a danceable yet somewhat moving record, Grimes finds himself living by a credo.

“I want to write songs that move people’s hearts as much as it moves their hips,” he says.

Who: The Golden Republic with Sons of the Republic

Where: M-Shop

When: 9 p.m. Saturday

Cost: $6 students, $8 public