Nashville-based acoustic outfit Cassino stopped by the WQAQ studio on Saturday to answer some questions and perform a couple of songs off of their latest album, “Kingprince.”

The band released their second independent album digitally last October on iTunes and Amazon before pressing a physical copy in early 2010.

Cassino, consisting of former Northstar frontman Nick Torres, relocated to Nashville from Alabama to work with producer Craig Krampf on their first album, “Sounds of Salvation.” Krampf is known for working with other Nashville-based artists like Dolly Parton and Melissa Etheridge.

The band made their way to Hamden after playing a series of shows throughout the Northeast, and offered to do an in-studio performance before their set at The Space.

Torres played “The Gin War,” “Maddie Bloom” and “Amelia” off the “Kingprince” album and mixed in fan-favorite “American Low” from 2006’s critically-acclaimed “Sounds of Salvation.”

This string of shows is the first in a while for Torres and company, who say they just don’t have enough money to tour consistently in support of their latest album.

“I make just as much money as an independent artist as I did with my old band and a record label,” Torres said. “It’s incredible how much the label takes from you.”

But the benefit, Torres says, is the ability to release music at the band’s own pace and leisure.

The band says fans can expect a new EP of b-sides and rarities from the “Kingprince” sessions in the upcoming winter months.

“It’s like, we’ve got all these songs just sitting on our computer, so why not?” Torres said.

Photo credit: Amanda Shulman