We got the chance to meet and hang out with Bucks County, Pennsylvania group Illinois during our time at SXSW. Group leader Chris Archibald (call him “Arch”) and company are the kind of guys you pal-ed around with in college. Easy going guys with plenty of inside jokes, who will greet you with a hug and always have an incredible story to tell.

“Dude, we saw a tornado yesterday - two funnel clouds in Tennessee!” says Arch, within 2 minutes of our meeting.

Wearing a camouflage hat, white Velcro Nikes, jeans and a plain t-shirt (soon adorned with PerfectPorridge buttons, thank you very much), Arch was just getting started.

In a Motel 6 somewhere outside of Austin, “…there was blood all over the fire detector and a bloody fingerprint on the button!”

Seriously?

“We got Polaroids! There was one bloody fingerprint on the desk, too. I don’t think it was a junkie popping out, either. That smoke detector was pretty high up.”

And so is the life of a group of friends with 373 songs under their belt, a hit EP (What the Hell Do I Know? [Ace Fu Records]) and a spot opening for the Kooks on their sold-out tour across the country.

The 7-track EP is rich in carefully-crafted pop songs, influenced mainly by Phil Spector’s work with the Beatles and the internal soundtrack inside Arch’s head.

“As far as influences, I don’t listen to anything,” says Arch when we mention the Illinois sound is a mash-up of the best pop sounds from the last 15 years. “Keeping your ears clean is the only way to truly sound like yourself.”

Shortly after our meet and greet before the Ace Fu Showcase Wednesday, Arch invited us to grab a drink. Handing us one of the band’s drink tickets — artificial fishing lure worms — Arch headed into the tent. Shots of Jameson kicked off the night, followed by taking turns biting into the lures and imaging just why the hell a fish would eat these.

On stage, a stress free soundcheck gave way into a raucous set, complete with Arch alternating through banjo, keyboard, telephone and electric guitar.

A highlight was “Screendoor,” where prior to kicking off the song, Arch exclaimed, “I don’t mean to be gay, but could everyone please clap? It’s so freakin’ warm here in Texas. Awww…c’mon. It burns the soul when only 4 people clap.”

When all else fails, go into Pee Wee Herman mode: “Okay, we’ll try this — The stars at night are big and bright, (CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP), deep in the heart of Texas!”

And yes, it totally worked.

Illinois writes extremely short songs — ranging 2-4 minutes maximum. They could be milked longer, but that’s in violation of the Illinois credo - fun, music, beer…repeat.

Illinois : “Screendoor” (mp3)

Illinois : “Alone Again” (mp3)