While many, me included, first became aware of Paper Bird via their stunning 2012 release Rooms and the subsequent You Tube clips that trickled out in support of it, the band’s roots actually go back to Colorado in late 2006 when Sarah Anderson and sisters Esme and Genevieve Patterson began singing together.

Built around gorgeous three part harmonies that immediately drew favorable comparisons to The Roches, the band, augmented by a collective membership that included a broad range of instruments, quickly gathered a strong reputation for the eclectic nature of their performances and the innate good time vibe they radiate.

Their self-released first album, 2007’s Anything Nameless and Joymaking, became one of the Evergreen State’s top sellers. By the summer of 2008 Paper Bird had grown confidant enough to embark on their first national tour-as part of New Belgium Brewery sponsored “Tour de Fat”-and have been touring nationally since, including sold out marquee shows in Philadelphia and New York City.

In June of 2009 Paper Bird released their first EP; the well-reviewed A Sky Underground, and followed that with an extensive summer tour including stops at the High Sierra Music Festival, Oregon Country Fair, Mile High Music Festival and 10,000 Lakes Festival. During that time they shared the stage with such heavy hitters as Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Neko Case, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Glen Campbell, and The Lumineers.

A Sky Underground was re-released in April of 2010, followed immediately by the live EP, Live at Twist & Shout. Culminating their intense summer was the band’s second full length album, When the River Took Flight. Reflective of their productive nature, Paper Bird subsequently released several more EPs of newly recorded and leftover material.

Barely taking a break, Paper Bird upped the ante in the fall of that year as they began collaborating with Ballet Nouveau Colorado. The group composed the music for the ballet Carry On, with their contribution attached to the choreography of acclaimed artistic director Garrett Ammon. The multi-media performance debuted at the Lakewood Cultural Center in early 2011 to sell out houses.

Carry On was released as a full-length, two-act live album in June of that year. Percussionist Mark Anderson, who worked on the project, was added to the band shortly thereafter, solidifying Paper Bird’s personnel as Sarah and Mark Anderson, Esme and Genevieve Patterson, guitarist Paul DeHaven , and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Summeril. In true collective fashion all members contribute to the songwriting and there is, by design, no group leader.

Paper Bird has previously played Asheville and will be doing so again at The Isis Theatre in West Asheville on Friday, May 9. In anticipation of that evening drummer Mark Anderson was gracious enough to answer a few questions.

James Cassara: While the core of Paper Bird has remained constant since the release of Rooms, I understand there have been some changes in the group dynamics. Can you catch us up to date?

Mark Anderson: Our bass player Macon decided to leave the band a few months ago. It was a very amicable departure, but with his absence we had to decide whether to replace him, or try and alter the band to work as a six piece.

We chose the latter, now having Caleb primarily play bass. It’s really opened up the sound, resulting in a fresh and lively new approach. Our pockets keep getting deeper.

JC: Having a trio of female voices brings to mind easy comparisons to The Roches, and I am certainly guilty of that. What are some of the other bands you draw upon for inspiration? Yours is a sound that is both contemporary and steeped in a certain era of classic pop music.

MA: We get this question a lot and never really know how to answer. All of us have very different musical back grounds, spanning from punk to rhythm and blues, reggae to rap. Our influences are all over the place.

We’ve been particularly influenced by soul and R & B, and old western music these days, but at the same time pulling influences from contemporary music. We are stepping away from being a throwback band though. Our sound isn’t so steeped in nostalgia anymore. It definitely has its place in contemporary culture.

JC: One of the things that immediately drew me to the band was what I heard as a deliberate emphasis on songs as standalone entities. While Rooms holds together beautifully as a whole, it seems a bit of a throwback to a time when albums were made up of potential single releases. In these days of You Tube and digital purchases it seems we’ve seen a return to standard four minute pop songs. And I welcome that!

MA: We hope every one of our songs can stand as its own, but we are very much in the business of making cohesive records. We want the listening experience to flow together as much as possible.

JC: From the start Paper Bird seemed intended as a cooperative; everyone contributes material and there is no clearly defined band leader. I love that approach but, when push comes to shove, how is it decided which songs make the cut and which don’t? Does the collective nature of the band present some unique challenges?

MA: It really has never been hard for us to decide which songs make the cut and which don’t. In a lot of ways we’ve all learned how to write specifically for Paper Bird.

We all have side projects where we can have more control, but the cooperative nature of our band truly works for us. Also, when someone presents a song to Paper Bird, it generally changes a lot when the band gets their hands on it. In a lot of ways a song becomes the band’s, instead of the individuals.

JC: You Tube, Facebook, and other arenas widely defined as social media have been a big part of the band’s growth, and I assume that to some degree your core audience is reflective of that. Can you expand a bit on what strategies you’ve used to reach new listeners? A decade ago touring like crazy seemed to be enough, but I’m not sure that’s any longer the case.

MA: Social media has been great for us, but honestly touring is how we’ve gained most of our fans. We use social media to connect with our audience and keep them updated on what we’re up to, but I think the core of our audience discovered us on the road. It’s after that discovery that they follow us on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.

Although, we have had some gracious write ups on various blogs or magazines, which definitely boosts our following, but I think gaining a dedicated listenership requires a real experience.

Paper Bird at the Isis Restaurant and Music Hall in West Asheville on Friday, May 9, 2014 at 9 p.m.. Tickets are priced at $8 in advance and $10 for day of show: Standing room with some balcony seating available. Go to www. isisasheville.com for more details.