Local indie-rock band Lenina Crowne won this year’s Movin’ On Battle of the Bands, granting it the opportunity to open for Mick Jenkins, Judah and the Lion, Daya, and Logic. It’s not every day a band gets to perform at a venue as storied as the IM Fields, but Lenina Crowne is no stranger to this legendary stage — the band also performed at Movin’ On in 2014 after its first Battle of the Bands, opening for Sky Ferreira, Fitz and the Tantrums, Aloe Blacc, and A$AP Rocky Wiz Khalifa.

The band began as a hobby for a few Penn State students and has turned into a seven-man group working to produce its own music. Despite starting as a cover band that primarily played the State College bar scene, Lenina Crowne plans to spend the summer touring its original sound.

“We’ve spent the year playing shows around State College, Philly, Gettysburg, and Baltimore with a goal of continuing to expand our reach in the future,” drummer Greg Ford said. “We’re moving toward a full-time focus on our music and that’s really exciting for us.”

Lenina Crowne hopes to bring new energy to Movin’ On this year, so fans can expect some layered sound and maybe even a few dance moves from band members. This sound is what set the group apart from other competitors at the Battle of the Bands.

“We don’t want to be just another band that copies the current trend in music; we want to the type of band that helps create and shape a new sound,” Ford said. Self-described indie-rockers, the musicians combine rock sounds from the electric guitar with more folky string instruments for an original take on classic styles.

But their sound isn’t the only quirky thing about their band, and their lighthearted energy translates from the studio to the stage. “We go through a lot of bags of Sour Patch kids when we’re on the road and recording,” Ford joked.

Lenina Crown will kick off this year’s free student music festival at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 27. You can catch up with the band’s sound on Spotify in the meantime.