Featuring Clara Stegall on guitar and vocals, Jon Andrew Franklin on violin and lead vocals, and Ben Chai on banjo, mandolin and vocals, the alt-folk rock band Streetlight Cadence started out busking on Waikiki’s streets. Courtesy photo

A few years ago the Nā Hōkū Honohono Award-winning band Streetlight Cadence released a delightful holiday EP “Chillin’,” including folky instrumental covers of Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” and the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” sounding like they could have been recorded 100 years ago.

“That was a really fun experience,” recalled Streetlight’s Ben Chai. “We actually recorded the whole thing in a single night.”

The alt-folk rock band, which started out busking on Waikiki’s streets, features Jon Andrew Franklin on violin and lead vocals, Chai on banjo, mandolin and vocals, and Clara Stegall on guitar and vocals. They will return to Maui to play Da Playground on Dec. 11.

Creating infectious, indie folk-pop brimming with energy and enthusiasm, Streetlight Cadence won Alternative Album Hōkū awards for “Kalakaua Avenue” and “Beyond Paradise.” Americana Highways has praised their “positive outlook, unique instrumentation, distinctive arrangements, and endless energy.”

They are about to release their first album in four years, “Oxygen,” executive produced by Grammy-winning Ken Caillat (Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney), with a title track inspired by a trip to Mauna Kea, and some songs composed in Kula during a stay on Maui.

“The track ‘Oxygen’ came from an experience when we went up to Mauna Kea,” he said. “Our car was struggling because of the altitude; sometimes the car just stopped working. ‘Oxygen’ as an album is a culmination of nearly three years of adventuring. When we did the second season of our TV show, ‘We’ll Play For Food,’ we wrote a new song based on what happened in each episode, and so this album is a collection of those songs.”

Aside from Kula, some of the songs were composed in Hilo and Waimea, “and of course in Honolulu,” said Chai.

Their self-produced Emmy-nominated series “Will Play For Food” captured the musicians traveling and entertaining audiences in various towns. “It’s a TV show that we’ve done two seasons,” Chai explained. “It ran on K5 (KFVE). We show up in a new city, we busk, we street perform, and with whatever money we get from street performing, we enjoy a local meal. A lot of the story is based on what it is like to live off of the generosity of other people. The second season came after the pandemic, so we were focused on talking to local business owners and local venues, how they were making it through that whole situation, and asking, why is music and art important for local communities?”

With Franklin living in Seattle and Chai in Houston, Stegall is Streelight’s only Hawaii resident. Living on Oahu’s North Shore, Stegall adds a new dimension to the group’s appealing sound. “It has forced us to be more organized,” said Chai about the disparate locations. “We transitioned from being a local gigging band, whether in Honolulu or Los Angeles, into more of a touring band.”

Stegall released her own solo album “Surrender” this year with enchanting songs like “Monkeypod Tree” and “Little Star.” “Clara has been playing a lot with Taimane,” said Chai. “She’s one of Taimane’s backing guitarists. That’s a really cool thing to see each one of us grow in our own respective geographical areas.”

Founded 15 years ago, Streetlight began as a quartet of classically trained musicians featuring two University of Hawaii at Manoa graduates and two Hawaii Pacific University graduates.

Their later recordings include “Midnight” in 2022, which they promoted with a 12-hour busking marathon in Honolulu. Popular on TikTok, a clip of them improvising Aaron Copeland’s “Hoedown” attracted over 3.5 million views.

Chai reported that he loves playing with Streetlight. “I think a lot of people would kill to be in the position that we’re in. We’re not famous. We’re not a giant band. But I consider it a gift every single day to be able to play and do this for a living.”

For their Maui show, they will perform as a quartet with guest musicians. “We’re bringing our longtime drummer, Evan Arashiro, who grew up on Oahu,” said Chai. “And our double bassist, Evan Campfield from North Carolina, who recorded on the album.”

Streetlight Cadence will play Da Playground at 7 p.m. Dec. 11. General admission is $14 and $44 for VIP at www.daplaygroundmaui.com/.