It’s a cool fall night, and the members of Ames’ Eight Miles Out have gathered outside the Maintenance Shop. Discussion of going to see a movie is made, but the conversation soon turns back to the band. Or more specifically, the strange tale of how the band’s name was chosen.

The band was formed by guitarist and vocalist Chris Saldanha, junior in pre-journalism and mass communication, and guitarist Pat Boberg, sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communication. Bassist Noah Wiese, sophomore in materials engineering and their drummer, Alex Miller, freshman in biology, later joined the crew.

Saldanha and Boberg decided their band name from high school, High Jinx, was terrible. Boberg came up with Eight Miles Out while driving his mother to the mall.

“We were looking for a place to park and she told me to park in the back even though there were tons of spots closer,” he says. “So I said ‘Mom, I don’t want to park eight miles out.’ And it was like a light bulb.”

In addition to their latest self-produced album, “The Inescapable Consequence of Fabrication,” Eight Miles Out has recorded two previous efforts, one of which was recorded at their first rehearsal with Miller, who didn’t even know they were recording.

The mention of the first two recordings is a sore topic for everyone.

“We have one album and two disowned children,” Saldanha says.

“We used to play horrible pop-punk,” Boberg adds.

“Really horrible pop-punk,” Saldanha corrects.

Luckily, musical Darwinism helped to evolve the band’s tunes. Now that their music has matured, the band members say the idea of playing full-time appeals to them. Although they may not be trying to sign with a label, they all agree they would like to have a sponsor.

“I want to be sponsored by Capri Sun,” Boberg says. “I drink that stuff all the time.”

They also consider the idea of being sponsored by Chiquita.

“I’d wear a banana suit if they gave me free bananas,” Saldanha says.

The talk of wearing costumes onstage leads into a conversation about onstage gimmicks.

“Our gimmick should be having pot bellies and looking like truckers,” Boberg suggests. “Or we should all be really skinny and dress in acrobatic costumes.”

“I could wear my ninja suit on stage,” Saldanha says.

With the visual areas of the band covered, they begin to focus on their emo/punk driven rock music.

“We scream when we want to express crazy emotion. It’s pretty where it needs to be pretty,” Saldanha says. “We’re not trying to pigeonhole ourselves.”

Even though there are many similar acts trying to make it big, the members of Eight Miles Out consider themselves different from the rest.

“We’re not too tough,” Saldanha says. “We’re a little more rock.”

This mix of styles could help them attract listeners from all types of music. Just don’t expect them to change their style anytime soon.

“It’s honest and true rock,” Wiese says, “but we don’t sound like Bruce Springsteen.”