If the four-year cycle of graduation mandates the life and death of local bands, Closer is already middle-aged. But that doesn’t seem to stop the band’s four members from having a good time and performing with what’s in their hearts.

Though the group met at Salt Company, guitarist and vocalist Shaun Liboon, senior in architecture, says the band does not play Christian music, but the members’ faith plays an important part in their music.

“Inevitably, your faith influences the way you think about everything,” Liboon says.

Both Liboon and keyboardist and vocalist Nathan Eagles, senior in mechanical engineering, write the lyrics for the band’s songs. Eagles calls the band’s sound “compelling pop rock.”

“With the experiences I go through in life, I see things in sort of a cinematic way,” Liboon says. “I try to have a very cinematic way of writing.”

Closer, which also includes percussionist Stefan Knudsen, sophomore in agricultural education and bassist and vocalist Kyle Lanzen, senior in civil engineering, has recently played at both People’s Bar and Grill, 2428 Lincoln Way, and the greek Welcome Fest. Liboon says the differences in atmosphere taught the band members a lot about their audience.

“When we played at Beta Sigma Psi, they weren’t serving alcohol, so there wasn’t a distraction of that,” Liboon says. “Out of all the places, People’s is where we call home.”

The problem with playing at a bar is half the fans are left out, Liboon says.

“The majority of our fans are under 21,” Liboon says. “When we get to play an all-ages show, it’s really full.”

When it comes to playing live, the members of Closer want the crowd to be attentive and receptive.

“We really want them to partake and feel they’re part of the band, too,” Liboon says. “We really want people to feel ownership, feel involved. With the music itself, we want people to relate to it.”

Eagles says the feeling of playing live energizes him.

“We all love to play live,” Eagles says. “There’s nothing like bearing it all — putting your heart and soul into it. And it’s a nice change of pace from my engineering classes.”

Influences for the band vary, but band members say they are always on the lookout for the ultimate pop gem, a la Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life.”

“[It’s] something I always strive for — to create the best catchy pop song,” Liboon says.

The members of Closer don’t see themselves as being very similar to or different from other local bands.

“We’re not trying to set ourselves apart, nor are we trying to blend together,” Liboon says. “We don’t want to be a niche band.”

The band is extremely passionate about its music, Liboon says.

“A lot of bands try to go somewhere else,” Eagles says. “You don’t get the same support. We like it here right now. We’d love to play in other places, [but] we have just as good a chance here.”

Full of passion, faith and fun, the members of Closer are down to earth and humble about their music.

“We’re just a bunch of guys in a band,” Liboon says.