August Blues singer McKenna Selissen’s voice floats across the white tents of the Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival, soothing visitors who sit on soft bales of hay to watch the mellow acoustic band. The music is confident, despite the shy introduction Selissen gives for the song, and the tapping drum beat keeps the audience fixed on the show amid orange pumpkins and heavy pines.

The band’s second album, Crossing the Blue, was released on Sept. 27, and they performed at the Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival on Sept. 28-29. Their first album, released last year, is titled Out of the Blue.

August Blues originated in Hudson, Wisconsin, and is made up of St. Paul Academy and Summit School senior Dylan White on drums, Cavan Denning on guitar, and Selissen on vocals. New aspects of this second album include the appearance of guest guitarist and vocalist Ben Tresselt. “He is really talented; it’s not easy to play guitar and sing at the same time,” White said. The band found Tresselt at a talent show at Hudson High School, where Selissen and Denning also go to school.

“[Tresselt] also just gave us more variety because people want to hear new things and they want to see the band try new things,” White said. “You have to keep the crowd engaged and happy.”

Over the past year, the band picked up many more performances, or “gigs,” than previous years. “In general we’ve started to practice more and I think our sound has become a lot more crisp and organized,” White said. They’ve picked up gigs at different venues for over two years, often performing at art fairs, coffee shops, and charity events. Last year, they played at First Avenue and 7th Street Entry, which was a memorable experience. “We were opening for a group, but the focus was on music,” White said, “so it was cool to have that focus and play at such an iconic club.”

Friends since kindergarten, White and Denning began playing music together in fifth grade for fun. They saw Selissen perform right after them at a talent show three years later, and their admiration for her voice brought the trio together. They originally used electric guitars and a full drum set, calling themselves “Rolling Catastrophe,” but later transitioned to their current genre and name.

Tresselt graduated high school last June, while Selissen will graduate Hudson Senior High School a semester early to pursue her interest in music therapy at music school in January. Denning has played guitar for ten years, and although he can’t read sheet music, he helps the band avoid boredom with their music. “[Denning]’s usually the one who offers a suggestion in terms of changing a song,” White said.

The members of the band are all very close, which helps them stay efficient while practicing and creating new songs. The only challenge is balancing gigs and practice with the band members’ work or school schedules. Often, individual members take time over the week to brainstorm ideas and practice on his or her own before coming together on the weekends. “It’s just having that constant need and want to play; it’s going to make you that much better,” White said. “I know that everyone in our band definitely plays their instrument or sings on a regular basis.”

This coming year will bring big changes for August Blues, as several of its members will move on to college. They will continue to perform together throughout the summer of 2014, but “after that I think we’re mostly going our separate ways,” White said. “There’s a good chance that we could get back together for certain occasions to play gigs, especially in the summers.”

White doesn’t plan to pursue a career in music, but in college, he might join another band and perform locally. “I’m pretty open to the music I play,” he said. One of the key lessons he has learned from playing in a band is communication, whether it’s with those who organize events for performances or if it’s within the band. “If you love [music], it’s pretty easy to commit to,” he said.