Seasoned hard-rockers Martin Bush and Brad Chancellor turn over a new pop leaf with Audiovox

Martin Bush has been welding riffs for years in heavy bands like Salt the Earth and Paper Cities. So he can't help but sound a little apologetic when he talks about his new project, Audiovox.

"I never played in a band that I wasn't playing a half-stack in until this year," he tells me on a Tuesday night at the Foundry. We're drinking with Brad Chancellor, the other half of Audiovox and the Oates to Bush's Hall.

"I've been working on these songs for years," Bush continues. "I've tried working on them with so many other people, and it just wasn't the right feel. The first time we got together, it was instantly what I wanted it to be."

Bush sings and plays guitar and keyboards; Chancellor drums. Together, they make sweet electro power pop.

Chancellor, who used to drum for Lawrence hard-rockers Orion, is as surprised as Bush that he's pursuing something so poppy. But I'm glad they made the leap.

I'm addicted to two tracks, now streaming at myspace.com/audiovoxmusic, which are reminiscent of the Postal Service, with digital beeps, catchy choruses and Bush singing soft and high about a subject that rarely comes up in his other projects: girls. "This is my high-school prose album," he jokes. "The other stuff I've done is more literary."

The Audiovox song "A Cautionary Tale" recently appeared on a compilation, free for download, at explodinginsound.com; it's part of a forthcoming six-song EP that the duo is recording with local producer Jeff Pickman. Orion's old record label, Pop Up Records, has also tapped Audiovox for a Hum tribute album.

In the meantime, Bush and Chancellor are trying to get used to rocking mellow in front of an audience — they have several shows scheduled in the coming weeks. "I don't have to show off on the guitar and get people to go, 'Oh, he's shredding!'" Bush explains. "As long as they're nodding their heads, I'm happy."

He and Chancellor will next set up side by side at the Jackpot on Wednesday, February 25, opening for Airborne Toxic Event.