Propelling the alternative and indie rock scene in New Orleans, a city centered on jazz and funk, is no easy feat. For Cardinal Sons, however, the challenge proves worthwhile.

The Shirley brothers, John, Joe and Dave, from Jackson, Mississippi, graduated from Loyola University with degrees in Marketing, Composition and Music Business, respectively.

With backgrounds in various aspects of the music industry, the three combined their talents to form Cardinal Sons.

With John on guitar, Joe on piano, Dave on drums and all three on vocals, the trio brings alternative flair and heavy riffage to the stage.

The trio is getting ready to release their newest single “Magnolia” on March 31, a song about their past in relation to their present.

“The songs [we’re releasing] are about being raised and being from Jackson, Mississippi,” John Shirley said in an interview with NolaVie.com. “I suppose there’s a bit of nostalgia in there.”

The Shirley brothers worked alongside Band of Horses bassist Bill Reynolds to record “Magnolia” and their other single, “Stuck in New Jack City,” the video for which will be released next month.

Other bands such as North Mississippi Allstars and Crawfest headliner Moon Taxi also worked with Reynolds.

The brothers have previously used New Orleans as an inspiration in their extended play “Echo Choir” but have recently begun focusing their lives before moving to The Big Easy.

Lyrics like “I may have missed church again but anyway I never even left our home” from “New Jack City” speak to how, even when you leave home, you are never too far away. The concept of growing up and moving away resonates with their college-aged fan base.

Cardinal Sons will be performing these songs as well as new music this weekend in back-to-back concerts. The band will perform at 10 p.m. Friday at Gasa Gasa and at 2 p.m. Saturday at Peaches Records.

On Friday, Alexis & The Samurai, an indie-pop duo with a Louisiana influence, will open for the trio. Members Alexis Marceaux and Sam Craft have lived in New Orleans their whole lives, and Marceaux has been a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice.” Marceaux and Craft perform with multiple instruments, including strings, guitars, keys, foot percussions and vocal harmonies, often all at once.

Cardinal Sons’ performances this weekend will showcase its unique outlook on music, heavy synth lines, steady drums and three brothers remembering their past and envisioning their future together.

The band is expected to draw a youthful crowd this weekend. With both venues being more intimate settings, fans can prepare to get up close and personal with the Shirley brothers at this family affair.