Formed in 2018 while attending music school and studying jazz, Ax and the Hatchetmen is the fastest-rising band to emerge from the Chicago indie scene. The group will bring its unique sound to The Black Sheep on Tuesday.

The band’s blend of alternative rock, jazz and a touch of blues has been hailed by The New York Times for its “impressive musicianship and songwriting,” while Pitchfork described the band’s music as “a refreshing take on indie rock, blending classic influences with modern sensibilities.”

“We’re all really good friends from early on in high school who’ve been playing together for years, and I think that shows in our music,” said vocalist and guitarist Axel Ellis, who shares studios and stages with guitarist Sal Defilippis, bassist Hunter Olshefke, drummer Nick Deputy, trumpeter Phil Pistone and saxophonist Quinn Dolan.

One of the key factors that sets Ax and the Hatchetmen apart from other upstart bands is the incorporation of a horn section, which brings a distinctive flavor to the group’s sound. They add depth, texture and a level of sophistication to the music, creating a captivating listening experience.

“Part of what makes us us is the horn section,” said Ellis, the 22-year-old bandleader, who also has a recurring role in the Amazon series “The Runarounds.” “We want to make it a weekend-party type of feel that’s very carefree, a ‘come and have fun and don’t think about anything too much’ type of feeling.”

While it might not be obvious from the singles that have followed in the wake of the band’s attention-getting 2020 debut EP “Bear on the Roof,” Ax and the Hatchetmen first honed its skills playing blues and jazz at festivals and competitions.

But Ellis and his bandmates have also been influenced by alt-rock acts such as Weezer and the Strokes, said Ellis, who noted “we are still working the improvisational aspect of jazz and blues into our songwriting.”

Now signed to Arista Records, the band grew more enthusiastic about partnering with the label when Arista suggested producer Jake Sinclair (who produced Weezer’s “White Album”) for its recent singles.

“We had a conversation about how we wanted to record the songs,” Ellis said. “And (Sinclair) was like, ‘Well, I’ve been wanting to make something like ‘Is This It’ by the Strokes, and do it all on tape.’ And I was like, ‘Man, that sounds amazing.’”

Recording to tape offered the unique challenge of recording the songs in a single take with no real way to go back and fix imperfections in the sound or performance.

“It’s just been fun trying to capture stuff in the moment,” Ellis said. “So yeah, Jake’s our dude. It’s crazy, he even records the demos on tape, the stuff that never comes out.”