“I’d love to dance with you, Maria, but right now my hands are on fire.” Standing in the alley behind Modified Arts, singer and guitarist Jason Woodbury of Hands On Fire explains the origin of the band’s name.

Though Woodbury second-guesses the name now, he says it came from Martin Scorsese’s Bob Dylan documentary No Direction Home. He found the folk singer’s notion of fear and self-doubt after his transition to electric very relatable. He says he notices this in himself and in most of his favorite artists.

Hands on Fire is a fusion of feel-good pop rock with a retro tinge and modern indie rock sounds of bands like Wilco and Built to Spill.

Drummer and ASU broadcasting senior Jeff Skrzypek throws out influences of ’60s and ’70s power pop, Motown and Big Star. Skrzypek and Woodbury agree the band is comprised of “record nerds.”

“We have a big record collection and we just mine that for inspiration,” Woodbury says. “I would say it’s a wide pop sound and simple songwriting. I come up with basic structure, lyrics, melody — I buy the clay and we all shape it.” The two agree they are all pretty democratic when it comes to forming the sound of the group.

Hands On Fire has been around for about two and a half years, Woodbury says. He and bassist Zane Gillum started the band and it has slowly warped and grown to the five-piece band it is now. The most recent additions include guitarist Josiah George, who joined the band three months ago, and keyboardist Ryan McDowell who joined a month ago.

When performing, the band has a vibe that is easy-going, energetic and danceable. The synchronized toe tapping of the five twenty-somethings is contagious throughout the venue. Hands On Fire transcends what might be expected of a local band with their sound that’s drawn from classic British and American rock and pop music. “People expect us to sounds like a hardcore band or a metal band,” Skrzypek says. Woodbury agrees. “I think we’re a little too rock for indie bands and a little too quiet for others.

“Technically, we have three EPs,” Woodbury says. “We only made 100 and sold all of those. Then we made a split with two other local bands — A Technicolor Yawn and Porches — and that was our first tour. And then the third, “Triple Mankind.”

“Triple Mankind” came from a misunderstood lyric from Strawberry Alarm Clock’s “Incense and Peppermint.” “It started off as a joke, we never intended on keeping it,” Woodbury explains. Though the lyrics are actually “cripplin’ mankind,” the band kept the name.

Hands on Fire has toured California for the split EP and then on their own to Seattle and down the West coast. The band has shared the stage with well-known indie artists like Blitzen Trapper and Fleet Foxes. Skrzypek says his favorite show was opening for the Black Angels at the Rhythm Room. Woodbury’s was at a dorm in Redlands, California. “It was a really awesome atmosphere — really supportive,” he says. Skrzypek describes the awesomeness — “It was like the Gryffindor Dorm out of Harry Potter.”

Though they don’t take themselves too seriously, their music has the goods to show off their talent. The guys say they quickly run through songs before shows and usually make a stop at Q-T for last minute essentials. Laughing, Woodbury says they usually forget something. “We’re all in trouble all the time.”

Check them out at http://myspace.com/handsonfiremusic.

— jvanzale@asu.edu