Three local band mates were found sitting in the back of the Mousetrap tavern on Barstow Street sharing a pitcher of beer and talking about everything ranging from their high school band days to practicing nowadays in parents’ basements.

The Heart Pills are four-piece band, with their most recent album titled “To Paul, From Dad 1951.” The band includes four members: Matt Haapala on bass, Sarah Bodeau on keys, Josh Ingersoll on guitar and Silas Thompson on drums. Three out of the four band members have been playing together since they were young and added on Thompson a few years ago looking through listings on Craigslist, Ingersoll said.

Many of the songs the band writes are not written from start to finish and some are made up on the spot, lead songwriter Ingersoll said. Even though Ingersoll is the main writer, Bodeau said the band is always there to help fill the songs out the rest of the way.

The Heart Pills’ sound is loud with a twang-rock influence, Haapala said. The band came upon this sound because no member had strict guidelines for what to do, or what to sound like when playing, so the sound was purely unique, Haapala said.

The band all said the best part about playing live is the affirmation they receive.

“It’s really fun and enjoyable to really like these songs and then seeing my friends out in the audience really liking these songs, or people I don’t know liking these songs,” Bodeau said.

Ingersoll said another rewarding aspect about being in The Heart Pills is having the opportunity to be loud on stage and have a PA pumping out the music.

“There is a powerful feeling that goes along with that, that you don’t get playing in a basement,” Ingersoll said.

The hardest part about being in a band is finding time to get everyone together, Ingersoll said.  He said coordinating around everyone’s work schedule and being able to get time off is one of the main challenges, but in the end they make it work.

Elan Mccallum, senior at UW-Eau Claire said she started listening to the band because she has known Ingersoll since age 10 when he was her camp counselor and from when they were coworkers at Ragstock. She said she went to their show when they opened for the band Cloud Cult last spring and was blown away.

Mccallum said she enjoys the uniqueness of The Heart Pills’ lyrics.

“I really like what they do and when you see them live it’s really obvious that they are passionate at what they are doing and that makes for a really great set,” Mccallum said. “I just hope they keep doing what they are doing.”

The CD release show will be at 10 p.m. on Feb. 8 at the House of Rock. The title of the new album is “Gunfighter” with western-inspired songs. The Heart Pills have a new free track available now on their bandcamp page.