Considering it’s been only two years since the release of 2008’s The Rhumb Line, Ra Ra Riot have made strides in cementing themselves as a pinnacle of the ever-evolving indie-pop scene. And having now worked alongside the likes of Chris Walla and Rostam Batmanglij, the inevitable comparisons have been drawn between the six-piece and any other band with a flair for strings and strong lead vocals – a tactic that doesn’t necessarily surprise or impress the group, according to guitarist Milo Bonacci.

“Very early on, we were always compared to the Arcade Fire,” he shares. “In every article written about us. It was in large part because we have a violin player in the band, and people were just thinking ‘strings and rock instruments – sounds like Arcade Fire’. And it was such a lazy thing to say, I think.”

“I take it as a compliment,” he quickly adds. “They’re a good band, but it was the first thing that popped into their head – that’s what they attached.”

Though such comparisons would likely make any other band take to the street and declare unabashed victory, Ra Ra Riot have opted instead to ignore the confines of categorization in hopes of avoiding the fleeting admiration associated with “it” – a label the group’s dodged once again following the release of this year’s The Orchard.

“Indie is not really what the name implies at all,” declard Bonacci. “I try to avoid saying that word as much as I can, but sometimes it’s the only way to describe to somebody who may not know the nuances of genres. To be honest, I avoid having to describe us at all. Names and labels can be dangerous – I think we were always afraid to paint ourselves into a corner. We don’t want to attach ourselves to something that is just sort of fleeting.”

Having admittedly “never sat down and said, ‘we’re going to be an indie rock band’”, the group’s still succeeded in avoiding buzz band status and its inevitable fallout, but Bonacci also admits that even that was unintentional.

“It’s not like we ever sat down and had a meeting and said, ‘we don’t want to be a buzz band’,” he reveals. “You don’t always get a choice. But being a buzz band is a good way [to be] quick to rise and quick to fall. We’ve been working very steadily and very hard over the past four years, so I think it reflects and it pays off in the sense that we don’t have fans coming to our shows [only] because we’re the flavor of the week.”

A testament to their live show, Ra Ra Riot’s been consistently praised for their on-stage dynamic, having seemingly used each gig to win over more audiences and to prove their worth and longevity – a trend Bonacci simply sees as proof of a changing industry.

“I feel like there are more and more bands that tend to focus on their live show than on their records,” he reflects. “And maybe I’m just projecting, but the physical albums are just business cards to hand out to remember the live show. [And] in the early days of recorded music, it was sort of the same way: you bought an album at the show to remember what the show was like. Then it flipped for a while, but I think we’re [moving back towards] that direction.”

In addition to perfecting their strong live presence, Ra Ra Riot has big plans for 2011, including a trip to Japan. But while fellow acts remain consumed with relevance and their place in popular culture, the Syracuse natives have set their sights only on what they like to do best.

“I don’t think we ever thought about music in [terms of legacy],” Bonacci admits. “In some ways it’s very self centered. We’re [just] trying to write music that we like and that we’re happy and excited about, but beyond that it’s too early to say how we’re going to contribute to the musical landscape.”