After years of sticking to its bold, electronic roots, Mice Parade is changing it up with its new album, lineup and acoustic-driven tour.
The New York-based band is slated to kick off its tour at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Tree Bar.
The group began as a solo project, founded by guitarist and vocalist, Adam Pierce, and Mice Parade is an anagram of Pierce’s name. Three band members, including Pierce, are part of the current tour.
Mice Parade’s newest album, “Candela,” is set to release Tuesday, and Pierce said it will cap off an era of the same loud, big-band lineup that has defined the band since 2005.
“(Candela) marks the shifting (of) things up, moving forward. I think it could be the (band’s) last big, loud record and, could I see the next record being all acoustic? Possibly,” Pierce said.
Since its foundation in the 1990s, the band’s sound has shifted over the years. What began as “a boldly inventive, highly individual take on post-rock (and) electronica,” according to a press release, became steadier in 2005.
The band previously performed with a more “big band” platform, usually including two drum kits, nylon stringing, classical guitar, keyboards and multiple microphones onstage, Pierce said, and from 2001 to 2004 the band performed with a Chinese viva harp.
However, Pierce said the band has since shifted to only incorporate percussion, guitar and vocals on this tour, in order to strip down the sound.
The band is also currently playing with only three members instead of its former six to achieve this sound, he said.
“(It’s a) stripped-down version of our normal group,” Pierce said. “And will have a smaller, more raw sound that will be quieter compared to previous shows containing six to seven people onstage with very loud, complex sound with a lot of instruments.”
Pierce said it’s hard to describe where he finds inspiration for his music, but it comes from life, music and other people.  
“We are influenced by almost anything,” he said.
Hannah Culp, a fourth-year in marketing, said the band has a very chill sound.  
“It’s the kind of music that I could listen to when studying or just driving in the car,” Culp said. “I like the female voices a lot. It was different.”
Culp added that the music sometimes overpowers the vocals, though.
The deconstructed performance will be held at Tree Bar, which holds about 125 people comfortably, according to its website.
“It will be like your grandfather’s rec room,” said Kyle Sowash, a booking agent for Tree Bar. “The sound in the room is good, and the modest size gives for an intimate viewing experience.”
Sowash said Mice Parade’s music has a folky yet slightly jazzy sound.
The audience can expect to hear a mixture of music, some from “Candela” and simplified versions of some older tunes, Pierce said.  
The Tree Bar is located 887 Chambers Road.
Tickets for the show are $7 for general admission, and the performance is open to anyone 21 and up.