In the late 2000s, the Illinois-based pop rock band Plain White T’s rose to prominence with a string of catchy radio hits. The band’s universally known breakout single, “Hey There Delilah,” has now essentially burned itself into the popular consciousness. Other favorites, such as “1, 2, 3, 4” and “Rhythm of Love,” still hold a solid footing within pop culture as well.

For the band’s eighth studio album, “Parallel Universe,” frontman Tom Higgenson had a desire to break away from their earlier guitar-based sound. “I think we kind of needed it,” he said. “We had to mentally break ourselves out of this little box that was Plain White T’s to give ourselves the creative freedom to experiment.”

Higgenson attributes this stylistic shift, in part, to the band’s love of contemporary pop music. A prominent electronic production finds its way onto the new album alongside the band’s familiar guitar tones. “Once we just decided [to experiment], it was so fun and so much more inspiring to find our own little sonic path,” Higgenson said.

Despite this stylistic shift, however, Plain White T’s also found a way to return to its roots. “Parallel Universe” marks a return to the band’s original label, Fearless Records.

Back in 2005, “Hey There Delilah” brought both Plain White T’s and Fearless Records into the national spotlight. “They were this tiny independent label and we were this tiny independent band and together we built this thing that was really special,” Higgenson said. “After all these years, to come back to Fearless, it felt like going back home to your family.”

Looking back, Higgenson said he didn’t think much of “Hey There Delilah” when he first wrote it. “People had to tell us and the label that [the song] was a hit,” he said. “We would go play shows and that would be the song that everyone sang along to. It really did its own grassroots kind of thing.”

And with its lasting success, there is even talk of turning “Hey There Delilah” into a full movie or television series. “There’s some crazy stuff but it’s all completely in development,” Higgenson said.

The idea arose after Higgenson’s involvement with writing a song for the recent Spongebob Squarepants musical on Broadway. “I’m a huge movie buff so any kind of opportunity to cross over into TV, or movies, or anything like that, I’m all about it,” he said.

Higgenson sometimes wonders if “Hey There Delilah” is really the best song he has ever written. “I want to say it is because it’s the most successful, but there’s probably some songs that I like better,” he said.

Still, Higgenson enjoys playing the hit every night. “The fact that it’s just an acoustic guitar and a vocal, it feels a little more timeless and little more classic,” he said. “I’m proud of it.”

You can watch the interview below: