It was only four years ago that the San Diego Music Awards awarded “Best New Artist” to Get Back Loretta, having only just released their first self-titled EP in the same month as the ceremonies. The band walked away with “Best Pop Artist” and “Best Pop Album” the following three years.

In certain circles, just mentioning the word “pop” could get you a messenger bag to the face, run over by a neon colored fixed-gear, etc. Over the years, “pop” has associated itself with some unfortunate, uninspired, and at times unbearable music. The songs on popular music charts haven’t always been so disappointing to those who sought music that could change the way you see the world or a song that simply stuck in your head for weeks.

You see, there once was a time that innovative, talented, and sometimes revolutionary artists could find themselves sitting comfortably within the upper registers It is this return to the “golden era” of rock n’ roll that fine gents of Get Back Loretta have managed to make black hole sized strides towards.

Guitarist Josh Cass took a break from recording their upcoming album to discuss how things work within the band. We also found ourselves on the topic of singing along with Whitney Houston at the top of their lungs in the van while on tour, and of course the always fun pastime that is Magic: The Gathering.

At the core of any band, song writing is the one gear that gets all the others turning, assuming that music is a grandfather clock. It can take years for a band to develop a song writing process that nurtures creativity and healthy interaction between every aspect of the song. From what I gathered from my conversation with Cass, Get Back Loretta have obtained this musical “nirvana” of sorts. A song, or any piece of music, is an almost magical force that Get Back Loretta seems to have no resistance towards being a servant of, as well as serving it to listeners.

Everyone in the band brings their different influences to the table, but all share a love for the music of Radiohead, Wilco, old soul music (Motown and Stax alike), and of course The Beatles. Fans of artists such as Ben Kweller, Matt Costa, Jeff Buckley, and Richard Swift will have no problem warming up to the infectious, sunny-day, bouncing music of Get Back Loretta.

As Cass explained, it’s about having fun and playing music that you love with good friends. So grab a good friend, or a complete stranger, head out for the night, and let yourself fall in love with Get Back Loretta. I’m sure they’ll love you too. It says so on their myspace.