It seems like all the best bands know just how to mix the tried and true methods of the icons of their genre with their own brand of freshness and intrigue.

A Leaf is one of those bands.

Hailing from Tacoma, A Leaf is Chris Bridges (guitar), Nate Daley (vocals/guitar), Stephen Demuth (drums), Andy Wambam (bass) and Shannon Donahue (vocals/guitar). A Leaf has the honest qualities of 1960s psychedelia and harmonic folk with a splash of this generation's shoe-gazey pop rock.

In a phone interview with Donahue, as he sips tea, we talk about the band's self-titled LP, their accidental name and their upcoming tour.

A Leaf's full-length debut album was released in July and was nearly a year in the making.

"Some of the album was recorded in Orbit Studios, some at the Engineer's Loft, and half the record was done in a barn by ourselves," says Donahue with a laugh. "Having it mixed and mastered by really good people helped."

The songs range from groovy instrumental to Beatles-esque love songs. The stories told are catchy and engaging; something listeners can relate to and dream with, such as, "See the world inside a seed. Feel the ocean moving through me. Fell asleep on a trembling leaf, woke up in a cloud and I heard them sing, ‘wherever we go, wherever we go ... we're alright. I'm a caterpillar you're a butterfly.'"

"We have really good communication," says Donahue of the band's creative process. "Chemistry comes out in all the different styles we have."

The chemistry is palpable, as A Leaf takes listeners on a journey of sleepy, yet sophisticated proportions. There's a motivation behind the music that seems to work itself out in every riff and harmony, allowing a sense of movement and grounding at the same time.

"This album is something we worked really hard on," Donahue says. "To me, the songs are like an explosion of soul - the record works hard to convey that."

A Leaf has been churning out songs with its current lineup since 2010. The band's name was supposed to be The Leaves, but Donahue explains that due to mumbling, it became A Leaf.

"Its kinda cool ... it was a good accident," he says with a laugh.

He goes on to explain that A Leaf seems to encompass the whole miracle of life, the natural process of life and death, growth and decay.

The next step for A Leaf in its journey of life is a West Coast tour in September, taking the band as far south as San Diego, and bringing them back up to Tacoma for a tentative show Oct. 6at the New Frontier.

When they return from tour, Donahue says they plan to immediately start recording another record.

For now, find A Leaf's new album at www.bandcamp.com or at High Voltage Records on 6^th Ave and Satellite Coffee near Wright Park, both in Tacoma.