Sequestered for the last year in the massive, lonesome Hull Building on First and Battery, the Epochs have been training to be the best honorary local band you’ve never heard of. Catch one of their shows before they head back to their native New York City this fall, and you’ll see what I mean. In January, the Epoch’s single “Opposite Sides”—a marriage of classic pop songwriting, piano, glitch beats, and chopped production—found its way onto KEXP’s “Music That Matters” podcast. “Mouths to Feed,” the second song assembled at the Hull, merges the same elements into a propulsive, quiet anthem that—like the Epochs’ other work—sounds far cleaner than a homemade production should. So who are these guys, and what are they doing here anyway?

After releasing their 2003 debut, Ten Billion Light Years of Solitude, the band gigged all over N.Y.C., finding a home at the unpretentiously cool downtown club Nublu. There, the Epochs’ residency raised their profile significantly—only to see them take off for Seattle in May of 2005. Here, the band has had the luxury of time, whether for improving their communication, refining tracks, DJ’ing Monday nights at Chapel, or—oh, yeah—watching the ferries and sunsets from their spectacular roof. But don’t be jealous. Their chrysalis stage is almost up, and I highly recommend getting a sneak peek at the vibrancy that’s sure to develop.