Tssss … That’s the sweet sound of cracking a beer — something Ames rockers Sons of the Republic say is a must anytime anyone, anywhere hears a particular note on their newly recorded EP.

Made up of former members of Envy Corps and now-defunct, once-prominent Ames bands 38th Parallel and Closer, the members of Sons of the Republic are putting their egos aside and are ready to have fun. This time around, classic hard rock is the name of the game.

“Everyone loves AC/DC and Aerosmith deep down,” says master of rock screams Nathan “Skins” Rippke, freshman in communication studies.

Although the four members seem to be truckin’ down the same road when they’re rocking out together, their ideas about the band’s purpose vary from noble politics to something more akin to a fire in one’s belly.

“Washington is run by a bunch of old, white guys, and there’s no one to represent us, the young Americans,” says guitar wailer Shaun “Castor Skitch” Liboon, senior in architecture. “We’re the new patriotism.”

Rippke, the man of few words, has a less loaded take on the group.

“I just wanna rock!” he says.

The band members say they dream of playing good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll for guys with beards who ride Harleys.

“It’s gotta be the kind of music where you’re drinking whiskey and you get super drunk and it’s awesome,” Rippke says. “Alcohol and this kind of music are married.”

In this beautiful wedding, it’s unclear if it’s the band or the drink holding the shotgun, but it sure ain’t a woman — and the band likes it that way.

“We just don’t give a crap about anything,” Rippke says.

The irony is, the more these boys make their credo not caring about living to impress the opposite sex, the more women seem to be keen on them.

“Chicks are really attracted to guys who don’t give a crap, apparently,” says bass slayer Jake “Knuckles” Ruppert.

Showing that this badass mentality only runs so deep, Rippke leaves band practice early — to take a girl to dance.

Sons of the Republic isn’t of ultimate importance, the members say; it began as a side project, but it has already staked a place in their hearts.

In fact, Sons of the Republic has staked a permanent place in their practice house as well, in the form of a large spray painted tag on the basement wall.

“We’re all having way more fun than with any other band we’ve been in,” Liboon says. “But, strangely enough, because we’re just doing it to have fun, it’s more marketable.”

Liboon says nearly everyone who has heard Sons of the Republic’s music has been crazy about it, and they have already been booked to play at a major rock club in Minneapolis. As far as the members can tell, they only have one group of enemies — indie kids.

Recently, a group of these “indie kids” started beef with Sons of the Republic, saying they were a “wiener band” on Iowa State’s online forum, StrangeTalk. Taking pride in his band, Liboon responded to their posts by writing, “Bright Eyes loves us and doesn’t even know it and [Pedro the Lion’s] Dave Bazan was listening to us when he cheated on his wife!”

“We want no indie cred,” Liboon says.

After taking a moment to think, Ruppert backs his bro up with a witty rhyme.

“We want indie dead!”