Taking their name from their homeland of Prince George County in Maryland, the trio Prinze George make infectious, off-kilter pop. Ever melodic with a foundation of synths and kinetic rhythms, the group excels with danceable tracks and classic sounding hooks crooned by frontwoman Naomi Almquist, whose distinct voice brings to mind Kate Bush, not so much in tone as in a bewitching sense, especially on "Freeze."

Rounded out by members Kenny Grimm and Isabelle De Leon, the band released their debut album Illiterate Synth Pop over the summer and are currently on a national tour, soon to swoop down the west coast. We caught up with them to talk about their origins, influences, the internet and the road.

Hometown/Homebase: Prince George's County, MD

You (Naomi and Kenny) have known each other since childhood. What triggered your musical collaboration to begin with and when did it begin? Have there been previous incarnations of Prinze George?’

We ended up at same New Year's party in 2011. The next morning, all of our friends woke up and started playing cover songs on the acoustic guitar. That was the beginning of our musical collaboration. The first incarnation of Prinze George was a rock band called Kin Heads that included Isabelle and two other members. Between an evolution of our sound and getting tired of battling between guitar amp volume and vocal volume, we decided to switch things up and experiment.

If you had to creatively describe your sound, how would you?

Our music is a film score to the experiences in our lives. It feels very nostalgic and combines synth pop with acoustic influences.

What records did you grow up on that you think have an influence on your own music?

For Naomi a major early influence was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which she discovered through her brother.
For Isabelle it was Absolution by Muse, who she discovered through a sampler CD at Kohl’s that was randomly gifted to her.
For Kenny it was Chronic 2001 by Dr Dre. From a production standpoint, this album really inspired him to not only play guitar and write songs, but to produce and create songs in their entirety.

How important is the internet to your existence as a band?

The internet gave us a chance to be a band professionally; it provided us a chance to reach listeners across the world who could control the destiny of the song. Especially with "Victor." We had no "team" or help at the time we released "Victor" and the internet/people became our team and made everything possible.

You've been playing a bunch of shows — what has been a particularly memorable one? 

For Kenny, it was a show we played in Detroit last year with Albert Hammond Jr. The sound guy was super fried and sent our backing tracks to the venue upstairs, so the beginning of the set ended up being really bare, but it also reminded us that our songs could stand on their own without the help of production.

Naomi's favorite show was a show we played at SXSW in Austin a couple years ago. It was on a rooftop deck at this spot called Handlebar. The roof deck had a clear tent over it and it was warm and it was raining. The atmosphere was peaceful and beautiful and the crowd was really engaged.

Isabelle's favorite show was when we opened for Bleachers and Walk The Moon at The National in Richmond a couple years ago. It was our first big show and gave us a big sense of accomplishment because we pulled it off and people were into it.

How do you think being on the road impacts your band? How have you grown?

We’re closer as friends with zero boundaries. It's like roommates on wheels, but theres an extra bonding factor because of the intensity of situations that keep the stress level very high. We take turns helping each other and keeping each other up, so we behave as a community in that sense.

How integral is the live show to you and what do you enjoy most about performing?

Naomi has terrible anxiety, so performing is still something she is getting used to, but sometimes there are moments where she can let go and get lost in the music. It helps her when people are singing the words.

Kenny and Isabelle enjoy performing because each instance is different. There is always a chance to enjoy and appreciate spontaneity and feed off the different crowds and energy.

What do you want listeners to take away from listening?

Whatever the fuck they want. We don’t want to dictate what listeners take away from it — if they take away something/anything thats great and all we can ask for.

What would you say is the perfect setting to listen to your album?

When you start the album you should be in a car, ideally an SUV, windows down and sunroof open, driving on the Pacific Coast Highway, southbound at the beginning of sunset. As the album progresses, you make your way to the beach. As the album winds down during Lights Burn Out you are lying in the sand, next to a fire, looking up at the stars next to your friends.

Now that the album is out and you're supporting it, what's next for Prinze George?

More music, more shows, and who knows. We will continue to keep making music and hoping for the best.