Do it yourself.

For one local band that is exactly the style that they are trying to embrace when they approach music. Blue Lane Frontier has been working to embrace new styles of music and work on branching out of the Fort Collins scene. From taking over Denver to touring the Pacific North West, Blue Lane Frontier been spreading.

Starting out, Blue Lane Frontier grew out of vocalist and guitarist Jake Quinter’s high school project. Quinter in his time in Arizona started the namesake of the project. Once he came out to Colorado State University, the project began to expand. Eventually, the band lineup was Jackson Watkins on guitar and vocals as well as Emily Vavra on keys and vocals. The lineup was only completed when the band picked up Emily Montelong on drums and Alex Perez on bass.

“It’s about having fun first,” Quinter said. 

The band draws from diverse influences and styles.

“It is rooted in the DIY ethics,” Watkins said.

Being able to come together, start with one idea and work on it until it becomes a song is what the band is all about.

When it comes to blending together elements of both folk and punk, some might view this as a challenge, but for Blue Lane Frontier this is almost second nature for them.

With Alex Perez bringing in more math-rock stylings on bass, there are a lot of moving parts that make up the band’s sound.

Blue Lane Frontier has recorded an extended play, “Courtyard,” as well as a full length, “No Big Fuss.” Additionally, the group has also recorded a split, “Folk Punk is Dead.”

“It felt like a culmination of the original style of Blue Lane,” Watkins said. “When it was me, Jake and Emily we operated a bit differently. When we had more consistent members on drums and bass it allowed us to focus more on our writing techniques and styles.” 

The band has been able to go on tour and had plenty of chances to perform, Blue Lane Frontier makes sure to try to stay active when on stage.

“I think we sound a lot better after tour,” Vavra said.

Getting the chance to tour around part of the U.S. with other bands is a moment that Blue Lane Frontier views as a helpful opportunity. 

“We get the chance to bounce ideas off one another,” Quinter said. “I think it gave us a lot of suggestions in how we can refine tone, or what was working on our songs and what wasn’t.”

When it comes to new material, the band is currently working on writing new songs, but not recording any time soon. Blue Lane Frontier hopes to have another full length towards the back end of 2018 but is working on building up their catalogue first.

Blue Lane Frontier has a show on Nov. 21 with mom jeans at the Seventh Circle Music Collective in Denver.

Collegian Reporter Alec Erickson can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on twitter @CTV_Ace.