The Dear Hunter is striving for a unique sound.

The band began as a side project of singer Casey Crescenzo when he was in the experimental band Receiving End of Sirens. Crescenzo wanted fewer restrictions on his music and yearned for a different sound.

That resulted in a demo released in 2005, and a year later he left Receiving End of Sirens and put out his first EP, Act I: The Lake South, The River North. Listeners immediately recognized a more mature sound than that of Sirens.

The first record is part of a multi-album story created by Crescenzo. It is set during the dawn of the 20th century and follows the birth, life and abrupt death of a boy. Most of the story is based on Crescenzo’s past experiences.

With a vision of where he wanted to go musically, Crescenzo decided that the next step was to form a full band.

Soon after the release of the EP, Casey recruited friends who came together to make up The Dear Hunter. The members further developed the story of Act I and entered the studio to record a follow-up album.

At the same time, Alternative Press magazine featured the band as one of the “”100 Bands You Need to Know in 2007.””

Riding the wave of publicity, The Dear Hunter released Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading, only eight months after Act I. The album lived up to the hype and came through with a unique sound.

“”We go with whatever comes out, but we do want to have our own sound,”” said bass player Josh Rheault.

The original sound produced from both the EP and full-length album takes fans through various genres. It ranges from folk to pop, but no matter what, the music is well orchestrated and extremely visual.

“”What we write creates different images, and we want the listeners to see the songs as they are playing,”” Rheault said. “”It is definitely visual.””

With the band going full force, it is now on it’s way to creating a rock opera, which will consist of six acts telling the story of the boy introduced in Act I. The Dear Hunter hopes to take the story from CD to stage.

“”At some point down the road, we would all love to see some sort of production of the story,”” Rheault said.

Until then check the band out in Tucson at its show Friday.

The Dear Hunter will be playing with Scary Kids Scaring Kids at The Rock, 136 N. Park Ave. Doors open at 6 p.m. for this all-ages show. Tickets are $13 at the door.