Combining Beatles-influenced songcraft with the sort of wit you might expect from a pack of UC Berkeley grads, the Morning Benders are gearing up for a big year. Their debut album is set for a spring release on +1 Records, and the quartet will bring its sunny, West Coast pop to next week’s SXSW festival. Talking to AllMusic while simultaneously cooking curry and listening to the Trojan Rocksteady box set (how’s that for multi-tasking?), frontman Chris Chu sounds excited to take his music on the road. “We travel by van,” he explains. “Our van is named Daryl. You should put it in italics because you have to whisper it as you say it, and I don’t know how else to convey that. Daryl is beautiful, but sort of dangerous. There aren’t many working mirrors. The visibility is low.”

The Morning Benders have been spending more and more time with Daryl since wrapping up production on Talking Through Tin Cans, an album full of double-tracked vocals, jangling guitars, and bright tambourine snaps. Equally indebted to the Shins, Brian Wilson, and John Lennon, the debut also marks a crucial step in the Benders’ journey from their Bay Area comfort zone to the big leagues. “When we recorded our stuff at home,” says Chu, referring to the band’s two charmingly raw EPs, “we recorded each instrument separately. It was me mouthing the words to Julian as he played the drum parts to nothing. Not very organic. In the studio, we got to set up as a band and track songs as a band. We definitely brought all our crap into the studio and made it feel a bit like home. We also had lots of Choco Tacos and 40s — that helps.” The bandmates also made friends with Jonny Kaps, the Brooklyn-based music maven responsible for managing stellastarr* and bringing Kate Nash to American audiences. The Morning Benders signed with Kaps’ +1 Records (“If you’re passionate about the music,” clarifies Chu, “we don’t care if you are from Cali or Antarctica”) and set their sights on May 6th, 2008 — their first LP release date.

If you normally associate morning benders with headaches and greasy food (perhaps that’s why Chu was making curry?), head over to the band’s MySpace page for a taste of something sweeter.