Though the folk rock band “James and the Drifters” is made up of members with a strong sense of faith, the band has tried to steer away from being labeled a Christian group. As Brent Chamberlin, one of the the Fort Wayne-based band’s primary songwriters, told Whatzup, “I don’t necessarily want people to listen to us and say, ‘Oh, those guys are Christians’ or ‘That’s a Christian band.’ I hope that art touches people no matter what religion they come from. I hope my art can have that kind of effect, that kind of power.”

The band’s fluid style and optimistic tone have resulted in a growing popularity within the state and beyond. Their brand new music video, “Foxtrot,” which premiered on popmatters.com today, pays homage to their Indiana upbringings.

“‘Foxtrot’ is about the anxiousness of being young and the uncertainty of what comes next. It’s about getting out of town, heading to the coast and having a good time along the way,” the band told popmatters.com. “And it’s about doing life together with others. We recently took a writer’s retreat to a lake house in northern Indiana and shot the video there. We wanted to keep it simple and yet tell the story of the song.” The song is included on their latest album, All That Gold, released in August after some delays.

The band competed this past summer in the 2014 Whatzup/Wooden Nickel Battle of the Bands in Fort Wayne, where their energetic live performances advanced them to the competition’s final round, along with local Warsaw band Plaxton and the Void. They were also named one of “12 Hoosier Bands You Must Listen To” on buzzfeed.com.

The group has several upcoming shows, including a few in the local area:

Dec. 5 — Indianapolis, at Union 50
Dec. 12 — Chicago at Subterranean
Jan. 9 — Louisville, Ky., at Mercury Ballroom
Jan. 10 — Nashville, Tenn., at The Basement
Jan. 16 — Rock Island, Ill., at Rozz Tox
Jan. 17 — Kansas City, Mo., at The Tank Room
Jan. 23 — Holland, Mich., at New Holland Brewery
Feb. 6 — Cincinnati, Ohio, at MOTR Pub
Feb. 20 — Columbus Ohio, at Brothers Drake
Feb. 26 — South Bend at The Brick
Feb. 27, 28 — Fort Wayne at The Embassy