It's difficult enough for a band to do well in one genre, but rock group Lotus attempts to go beyond that, pulling together bits and pieces to create it's own unique blend of instrumental rock.

Lotus will play at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave. The band is touring to promote the release of its two new EPs, "Feather on Wood" and "Oil on Glass," both released on Oct. 6 -- each with a distinctly different vibe.

"The songs from both EPs were recorded while we were making our last album," guitarist and keyboard player Luke Miller said. "We thought they were too good to toss away, so we decided to put them out on EPs."

As they were sorting through the songs, they noticed a clear division and decided to release the songs as two separate EPs, Miller said.

"They don't necessarily fit together musically, but they fit together in that they're almost two sides of the same coin," he said.

The group has been together since 1998. Miller attributes that longevity to the college environment that spawned them. Miller said the group was formed at Goshen College, which stresses community on campus, a commitment the group still carries today.

"When we play, it isn't about individual ego," Miller said. "It's a group thing."

Even though the band's creed has stayed the same, its music has changed noticeably in the past eight years. Recently, Lotus has begun to include elements of both progressive and post-rock into its music, along with other genres.

"Over the years, we've gotten a lot better at doing what we do -- there's much more focused improvisation," he said. "There's also less funk in our music now, because we've taken on more influences over the years."

Miller described his songwriting process as being very organic, and this is reflected in the improvisational nature of the band's songs.

"I start with a feeling, atmosphere, vibe, or an emotion that I want the song to capture, and then I work from there," he said. "Or sometimes I want to incorporate specific chord progressions or drum patterns, and I create the song around that."

Miller also said his favorite aspects of performing are the occasions where the audience gets a glimpse into the band's creative process.

"I love it when we get into something that we've never done before," he said. "It's new for us and the audience. There's a kind of collective moment of discovery. That's the magic moment."

The State College audience has been receptive to the group's music, said Mike Negra, executive director for the State Theatre. He said Lotus had a successful performance when the group played two years ago.

"They drew a pretty big crowd, and that genre has done very well in the past, so we're expecting a nice turn out," Negra said.