Alternative Indie band the Way Down Wanders will be performing Friday night at the Maintenance Shop.

The five-piece band is made up of vocalist/lead guitarist Austin Thompson, strings player Collin Krause, percussionist John Merikoski, bassist John Williams and Travis Kowalsky on banjo.

The founders of the band, Thompson and Krause, met in their hometown of Peoria, Illinois when they were but young men. Eventually the two began touring together as a folk duo, before founding the Way Down Wanderers.

With music full of soul and heartfelt lyrics, the group has amassed a quick and loyal following since the bands conception 3 years ago. The band has two extended plays, Path to Follow and Wellspring, and one eponymous album.

Thompson writes most of the lyrics for the band. These lyrics are inspired by the outdoors and his love for hiking. Their music is lively and inspires people to find the adventure in life.

The band is known for their unconventional ways of sharing their music. The best example of this is their unplugged shows called restSTOMPS, which are free acoustic sets at truck stops along their tour routes. Performing like this is a great way to spread buzz and helps the Way Down Wanderers follow their mission of staying true to their fans.

Their music spreads like wildfire wherever they seem to perform, and the band has even been decorated with rewards for their talents. They were finalists in the international song writing competition back in 2015 for the song “Dead Birds”, and winners of Deli Magazine’s Chicago Best Emerging Artist in 2014.

Tickets are $8 with a student ID.