It seems that Auburn has been receiving its fair share of troubadours from the musical Mecca of Athens, Ga., as of late. The latest to stop through town is Leaving Araby, a polished little indie rock group who have been generating some hype by sharing the stage with some real up-and-comers.

The band formed in 2005 after frontman/ vocalist Justin Reynolds and a friend got together following the demise of their previous bands. The two collaborated on a tune, “Armistice is a Dirty Word,” which would later be released on their 2006 EP, “Slightly South of Scene.”

Recently, the group released their new EP, “As Long As The Devil Is After You,” which is available through iTunes as well as Napster and Rhapsody. The title of the EP comes from a sign outside a church that read “As long as the devil is after you he has not caught you,” an attitude that runs throughout a record that was based largely on the apathetic feelings of a generation that came of age during what some are now labeling “the Lost Decade,” that is, the early 2000’s.
The tunes on the new EP are darker than the group’s previous material, but the virtuosity and melody haven’t been compromised.

But Leaving Araby do not take themselves entirely serious - with all of this talk of seemingly melodramatic subject matter, it is refreshing to hear the group describe their sound as “a well tempered blender containing gooey musical goodness!”

Leaving Araby will be performing at The Independent on June 11 with fellow Athens rockers, Romanenko. Check out their website at leavingaraby.com for more info and to hear tracks from their new EP.