When I hear the sound of someone striking up a mandolin within the first few bars of a song, I often run screaming for the hills. Why? Because it’s usually an early warning about a pretentious, folksy outfit.

No worries of that with Imagine Dragons though. I’m talking about our song of the day, It’s Time by the Las Vegas four (or five)-piece, which kicks off with those potentially worrying mandolin lines and a handclap rhythm line. But persevere through the intro and you’ll be rewarded with a song that has elements of acoustic simplicity coupled with the Snow Patrol-esque (yes, I made it a word) ability to write a pounding anthemic chorus. Hit the play button above and read on…

Interested? It’s Time is just the tip of a very eclectic iceberg though. Start digging into Imagine Dragons’ other work and you’ll discover a band that’s incredibly multifaceted. Take a listen to the incredible disco grooves on Tokyo or the soul-baring rock of The River.

Who’s in the band? Dan Reynolds (Vox), D. Wayne Sermon (Guitar), Daniel “Z” Platzman (Drums), Theresa Flaminio (Keys) and Ben McKee (Bass). From what we can tell, the band’s been together since roughly 2008.

Claims to fame: Well, they’ve recently been signed to Alex Da Kid’s KIDinaCORNER label. And ‘Da Kid’ has worked with Rihanna and Eminem. After releasing a series of EPs, they’re now in the studio working on their debut album. Imagine Dragons have also been working their way up the gig circuit, from winning local battle of the bands competitions to opening for notable indie acts like Nico Vega and Hot Chip as well as Weezer and Interpol. And if you’re at a certain SXSW festival in March, you’ll be able to check them out live and in da flesh.

Stalk ‘em! Check out the official Imagine Dragons website, or follow the band on Twitter or Facebook. And for audio-visual delights aplenty, check out their YouTube channel. And finally, listen to the band waxing lyrical about their musical style and creative processes: