Interview by Hatchet reporter Nadia Meher Zaman.

Fitz and the Tantrums has been on the rise since the indie pop group released its second album “More Than Just a Dream” in 2013,

The band is now back on tour and made a stop at the 9:30 Club on Saturday, energizing the crowd with a soulful and contemporary sound.

The Hatchet spoke with Joseph Barnes, the group’s bassist, about Fitz and the Tantrums’ new album, playing in D.C. and his favorite dance moves to pull while performing.

Your first album “Pickin’ Up the Pieces” is known for not having much of a guitar sound. As a bassist, how has your role changed in the band from the first album to the second?

Joseph Barnes: More stylistically, the first record is more motown influenced, and now I can have more of an active bassline. It’s a lot more part and less open-ended. There are more bass synths coupled with electric bass.

What’s the process of recording like for you?

JB: Well, every song is different. Really, you just put the drums and the bass and then you layer them together. In this record though, so many things are templates from the demos we’ve made together.

You’ve done many music collaborations and projects. What is it like going from being a bassist and working with Colin Hay to being a bassist in Fitz and the Tantrums?

JB: My approach is very similar. I got to co-write some of the songs. I like to do other projects because it’s a fantastic opportunity, but you leave more of your ego behind because you’re trying to serve the song. The big difference is having a personal interest. With Fitz and the Tantrums, it’s the song and working together with everyone to be satisfied.

Last year, you went on tour and performed a sold-out show with Capital Cities at the 9:30 Club. Now you’re coming back to do another sold-out show. How does that feel?

JB: We love it. We love D.C. and we love the 9:30 Club. It’s a club that took a chance on us when we weren’t that big, and we have a special bond with them.

This past summer, you played at a lot of big music festivals. What’s it like playing at a place like the 9:30 Club compared to those festivals?

JB: There’s just more immediacy. The fact there’s a ceiling and a room and that all that energy is focused, and there you can make that connection by seeing someone in an audience. You feel a different kind of energy but you need to project that energy further at a big music festival.

Any hints about the setlist you’re playing for this tour?

JB: Just a nice blend of new and old songs but probably a bit heavier on the new record. We want to up our game on lighting and the staging. It’s probably best to just come out and see for yourself (laughs).

Do you have special dance moves that you like to do on stage?

JB: I do the pogo and the two-step. And I do the occasional head bang (laughs).

How do you feel about college kids having dance parties to your music?

JB: That’s the entire point of Fitz and the Tantrums. It makes us all so incredibly happy, and we want people to lose their inhibitions on the dance floor. The audience is the seventh member of the band. It’s all about crowd participation.

What does it mean to be a Tantrum?

JB: It just means to realize all my dreams to be a musician. Every musician has the dream to have your band make it big, and being able to do that is amazing. Also, I love being on stage. We have a great synchronicity.