The Troubadours have a sense of humor about their band, their religion and life in general. They’re pious, but not annoyingly so.

The Ames band, which started roughly one year ago, have few inhibitions, which allows them to express a mix of the members’ focus on God … and boners.

The Troubadours are a 5-piece, jazz-oriented band made of 20- and 21-year-old college students. They have been described as “Ames’ answer to Dave Matthews Band.” Taylor Stichka, saxophonist and junior in elementary education, professes his belief in Dave Matthews as a deity. Of course, few bands want to sound overtly similar to one specific artist.

With choruses like, “If you see me smiling/ It’s because the possibility of life amazes me/ If you catch me dancing/ It’s because I hear the world’s heartbeat,” the band aims for a more hopeful message than that of their secular idols.

Their private hangout, 420 Welch Ave., known simply as “The Welch House,” has been called home by at least two other Christian bands. Continuing the legacy, lead singer and guitarist Keith Rollins says he and his friends desire “to communicate hope and bring people to a realization of God.”

“The band is a vehicle to bring people there,” says Rollins, freshman in art and design. “It’s not like I write something and think, ‘How can I fit Jesus into this?’ It’s as natural as breathing air.”

Though they’re trying to serve God with their music, none of the members claims to be perfect. In fact, they don’t even try to be politically correct, with crude jokes constantly flying across the room.

“I would say that none of us are as good as people as we are as a band,” says Ben Erbes, keyboardist and sophomore in philosophy.

This comment is followed by a trail of light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek dead baby jokes and references to “pitching tents for God.”

The band looks at Stichka with shame and love as he makes himself target and source of the offensive remarks, including Erbes’ account of his most embarrassing moment.

“He fell asleep at a track meet on the high jump mat,” Erbes says. “When he woke up, there were about 20 people standing around him, pointing and laughing, because he was pitching a tent in his track shorts.”

Rollins attempts to bring his friends back on track.

“This interview is going downhill rapidly,” he says. “So anyway — how about God?”