Among the bands you’ll hear at Shamrock Fest on March 10 is Emmet Swimming, an alt-rock band with a memorable sound featuring songs you can listen to a thousand times over and still find meaning in them.

While friendship has kept the band together for 14 years, their raw talent and on-stage rapport continue to reign in fans.

“All of us really enjoy each other’s company,” said lead singer Todd Watts, who towers at 6-foot-7, yet whether he’s bellowing on a ballad or belting out a rock song, his rich, emotive voice will send chills right through you. Emmet’s guitarist Erik Wenberg agreed. “I’m one of Todd’s biggest fans and I was a fan before I was even in the band,” he said. “Todd has a great presence and his voice just gave me goose bumps.”

Watts started Emmet Swimming in 1992 while a student at George Mason University. A year later, his band mates moved on and Wenberg and drummer Tamer Eid soon entered on the scene. “We were all in a similar music circle,” recalled Wenberg. “Todd and I became good friends ...and [came to find that] musically, we understand each other well.”

The band soon gained a loyal following from playing the college circuit and area clubs. They played sold-out shows from “Arlington to Boston,” providing the name and inspiration for their third album, Wenberg’s favorite. Recorded in a church, the album has a common melodic thread throughout. Wenberg said, “We tried to capture the vibe of the band at that time.”

Their second album, “Wake,”  caught the attention of Epic Records, who signed them and re-released it. The band’s fourth album, the 1998 release “Big Night Without You,” one of three released by Epic Records, is Watts’ favorite Emmet album. “I always wanted to do something more produced, orchestrated, and thought out,” he said. 

That year, Eid left Emmet to pursue other percussion projects but recently rejoined the band. Emmet Swimming also has gone through a few bass players over the years, but recently acquired longtime friend Scotty Brotemarkle, an animated and dynamic addition.

After artistic differences separated the band from the Epic contract, Emmet returned to its indie label, Screaming Goddess, for a live CD, “Earplugs 50 Cents” — partly recorded at DC’s 9:30 Club and so named for the cost then of earplugs there — and a five-song EP, “Bathing in the New Economy.” Since their inception, the band has sold more than 100,000 albums and has been nominated for 14 Washington Area Music Awards (WAMMIES).

The band’s name pays tribute to Emmett Till, a young black boy who was murdered in Mississippi in the 1950s and became a martyr of the civil rights movement. As the band’s bio states, “His name evokes a myriad of strong emotions: anger, frustration and introspective self-doubt. Emmet Swimming delves into these similar emotions...”

Watts has written most of the band’s lyrics. “They’re story-based songs,” he said. “Often the song is a composite of people we knew at the time.” But song composition always remained a group effort. “Sometimes Erik came in with ideas and hooks and I’d work off of that,” recounted Watts. “Or, we’re all together and have an idea and flesh it out.”

“Todd and I have this intersection of musical tastes,” said Wenberg, such as the Violent Femmes and the Smiths. Wenberg especially liked, and drew influence from, the Connells, who also will be playing Shamrock Fest. But sometimes their tastes diverged. “Todd liked the darker stuff like the Cure and harder stuff like the Pixies. So we each bring [ideas and influences] into the band that the other hadn’t thought of.” 

While the band’s members now must balance having families and day jobs, or both, there is talk of another album and more shows. As a testament to their talent, Emmet Swimming has a long-time loyal fan base despite having gone long stretches without playing live gigs. “We’re lucky,” Watts said. “There are still people out there who want to hear us even though we’re not regularly playing shows. We’d be happy to play if anyone was there or not. The fact that folks still show up is a total bonus.”

Catch Emmet Swimming at the Shamrock Festival on March 10 and at Ned Devine’s in Herndon on March 31. For more information, visit www.emmetswimming.com