If the four members of Align hadn’t grown up together, they never would have lasted as a band.

The childhood friends — guitarist Matt Payne, drummer Dave Jarnstrom, vocalist Jeremy Jessen and bassist John McEven — are from the Minneapolis area. With the exception of changing drummers, the group has been together for six years. This has proven to be helpful in making music, Jessen says.

“It definitely helps our sound. We all understand what we are trying to get out of the music,” Jessen says. “I think that if we didn’t come into this being friends, that we would have ended this a long time ago.”

Jessen describes Align as a post-hardcore group playing a form of indie-influenced rock. However, he says the band members try not to fit into any specific genre or look, bringing listeners in for the music, not the scene.

“We’ve always felt more pressure than anything to avoid that,” Jessen says. “There is an unspoken mantra among the band members to avoid being scenester and hope that people just see the music.”

In its six years of existence, Align has released two EPs and two full-length albums, and is currently working on a split album with the band Self Evident, which will be released at the end of February. Jessen says the band has progressed since its beginnings.

“We have gotten a lot more comfortable with each other writing songs,” he says. “The band writes more songs together now, not everyone writing songs on their own.”

Align has toured across the Midwest and West Coast with bands like Avail, Bloodlet and The Promise Ring. The group played in Ames two years ago, appearing at Boheme Bistro, 2900 West St., with local band Lesser Known Saint.

“It was a pretty good time.” Jessen says. ” We are looking forward to coming back.”

Jessen says the band came in contact with Lesser Known Saint through its record label, Blue Worm Records. The two bands will be performing together along with Clair de Lune at Bali Satay House, 2424 Lincoln Way, on Friday.

Jessen says the bands on Blue Worm have made friends and supported each other by finding shows to play together. Above all, Jessen says, stardom isn’t the objective for Align.

“We would like to do this for a living, and we love playing music,” Jessen says. “We are not in this to be rich rock stars.”

Correction: The show will actually occur on Saturday. The Daily regrets the error.