The concept behind Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience is about creating an artistic experience that can cause all the senses to correspond. Apply this to songwriting and you get the concept in band form, better known as Mae. At least, that’s what lead singer Dave Elkins was told by the band’s drummer, Jacob Marshall.

“Jacob really developed this concept during college,” he explains. “We decided to apply this idea to our music and actually create that kind of experience.”

Elkins and Marshall became friends in 2001 and had just started playing together when they met bassist Mark Padgett, who had a recording studio where the band members started to work on their songs.

“It wasn’t a band so much as a project of sorts,” Elkins says. “So in the beginning, we really didn’t have any goals.”

Three years later and now with keyboardist Rob Sweitzer and guitarist Zach Gehring, Mae have a definite goal: perfecting an accessible sound that isn’t geared toward any specific audience.

“Anyone from a 48-year-old mom to that skater dude down the street can listen to our music,” Elkins says. “We want to reach a wide audience and connect to as many people as possible.”

Both of Mae’s albums – 2005’s The Everglow and 2003’s Destination: Beautiful, both released on Tooth & Nail Records – illustrate their attempts at living up to their name by touching on many genres within the scope of rock, ultimately creating a sound that Elkins describes as “a more melodic version of alternative rock.”

“We listen to everything: R&B, rap, jazz and even metal,” he says. “I think that gives us the opportunity to venture out and try a little of everything.”

Their first album, Destination: Beautiful is a well-received mix of unique, catchy songs -described by Elkins as “me at the age of 19, trying to write songs and not having too much experience with life in general.”

Mae’s follow-up, The Everglow, manages to keep the light-hearted sounds of their first album but showcases the group’s development over the two-year period.

“Our second album was much more of a group effort,” Elkin says. “I know that I’ve grown up and matured being on the road and playing with this band in the past three years than ever before.”

While Mae embraces their multi-genre sound, Elkins says the band should not be misrepresented and labeled as a Christian rock band.

Elkins explains that because Tooth & Nail Records is best known as a Christian label and was once known for exclusively signing Christian bands, their long-time affiliation with the label has made some assume that Mae’s music is non-secular.

“We’re really just your average band,” he says. “If we had been released on any other label, big or small, it wouldn’t even be an issue.”

Mae is currently a few weeks into a small-venue tour opening for Yellowcard. They’ll be playing in front of a sold-out crowd Feb. 1 at the Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.

Elkins says that so far, this “low-key” tour has been a good first-time experience with their fellow former Warped Tour participants. The band will have some down time in March before starting the leg of a college tour with Yellowcard in April.

“It’s been exciting to be able to hang out with (Yellowcard),” he says. “We’re hoping to introduce our music to their usual crowd and make some new Mae fans in the process.”

After Mae headlined two tours in 2005, Elkins says he’s become well accustomed to life on the road. A testament to Mae’s constant traveling: They know their way through most state highway systems, having favorite restaurants in nearly every major city, along with the fact that they’ve stayed in their current New York City hotel at least half a dozen times.

“My favorite part of touring is just hanging out with the bands,” Elkins says. “It always makes for some interesting stories and experiences.”

The band will try to have one major headlining tour some time between June and October of this year. But Elkins says Mae’s main goal is to begin the conception of a new album. The writing process for that album will begin in March, when the band will rent a house for recording and “dedicate an entire month to just writing songs.” Elkins says he hopes the record will be released no later than the end of 2006.

According to Elkins, even with all this experience behind them, the band is “just scratching the surface of (their) writing abilities,” but have managed to find their sound with The Everglow.

“All the songs on The Everglow are the best we’ve ever written and we hope to keep that up,” he says. “This last album is definitely a sign of things to come.”

Overall, Elkins says he had never expected Mae to come this far, and he’s more than pleased with the results of Marshall’s concept at work.

“It’s just amazing to me to know that we’ve left our mark and that our music will stand the test of time,” he optimistically says. “Just knowing that is enough to be satisfied.”

Medill sophomore Dani Garcia is a PLAY writer. She can be reached at [email protected].