Nashville-via-D.C. rock band Parachute Musical descends upon the Bluebird Friday night, making their first visit to St. Louis.

The quartet makes piano pop that’s a little hyper, along the lines of Ben Folds. Fans of our town’s Gentlemen Auction House will probably dig it.

The band also displays a bit of Ludo-style humor and dramatics on its 2003 release and its MySpace page, specifically the “PM Promo” tune.

Pianist and singer Josh Foster has a strong falsetto that he’s not afraid to use. Recalling Rufus Wainwright, the vocal tunes are fluid and complex, usually featuring heart-on-his-sleeve reflections of life events.

Their sophomore release, “Everything is Working Out Fine in Some Town,” will be released in April.

I caught up with Foster today.

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RC: Have you played St. Louis before?

JF: Never, but I’ve heard so many great things about it.

RC: Is this your first band?

JF: Yes, I assembled during my first year of college in D.C.

RC: Why did you move to Nashville?

JF: It was a lot of things. A gig presented itself to me that Tom (Gilbert), my current guitar player, had with a young country act that paid well. Nothing was going on for me in D.C. And it was a debilitating time for me and my career. It turned out my drummer was offered a similar gig and he moved to Nashville as well, so we put Parachute back together.

RC: How has your music been received in Nashville?

JF: It’s been unbelievable – I couldn’t ask for anything better. We got to book an Exit Inn show coming up on February 9 that is going to be huge for us.

RC: What are your lyrics like, content-wise?

JF: It’s always out of personal experience. Usually they are based on some riff that comes up while I sit down at the piano or guitar. The new album is about moving to a new town and trying to find your way. Down here I’m a small fish in big pond. I don’t or make up good stories, though. I have a pretty f– weird and interesting life!

RC: Are you influenced by Scott Joplin on piano?

JF: Yes, but I’ve probably written my last ragtime tune for the band. It will likely be on an EP in the fall. I am influenced by many genres. Early on, I was in school studying jazz guitar. We have a really versatile drummer as well – he’s unbelievable. He draws from a lot of different styles as you’ll see if you come to the show – jazz, free and Latin. He definitely kills it in rock drumming too.

RC: Tell me about the new album.

JF: Our new album is going to make our debut sound like a demo. Derrick Garten produced it. He’s pretty unknown in Nashville and it’s a shame because he’s got a lot to offer bands. Some of the songs called for big elaborate horn sections and strings. Not a lot of producers are going to be able to track these in a modest studio and get it to sound the way it does. He makes it sound like there’s sound like there are 50 players in the room.

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Parachute Musical with Kentucky Knife Fight, Circus Window and Ryne Watts

Bluebird, 2706 Olive St., west of Jefferson, $7

www.myspace.com/parachutemusical