It wouldn’t be unfair to surmise he was an “Odd Soul” all on his own.

Introspective, passionate and committed to authenticity, Mutemath drummer Darren King was as vivacious as he was open when speaking about the band’s somewhat turbulent nine-year history.

You can see them live Saturday at the Black Sheep.

The group was born out of friendships as well as a long-distance working relationship between King and former Earthsuit member Paul Meany. Though most frequently identified as Christian artists, they’ve had mainstream success, including a 2007 Grammy nomination. Their sound has been called hypnotic, and their innovative use of sampling and electro adds a level of intelligence to their already soul-searching lyrics.

But the band’s road has been fraught with upsets and Mutemath has had to navigate their share of pitfalls. They channel their adversities into the music, where the stories are told in verses and sound bites.

It’s no surprise, then, that the band’s third and latest release, “Odd Soul,” is a coming of age narrative, in which themes of personal challenge are woven into an overall acceptance of self.

“The album,” King says, “is full of stuff we really just needed to talk about.”

And the talking part came easy. Here, King shares his views on music and the Internet, the band’s search for identity and how each album is reflective stop on the journey of their career.

The Gazette: How’s the tour coming?

Darren King: Awesome. We’re about done. Been out on the road with Incubus and Linkin Park. We’re in Portland at the moment. We did a special session for Spotify, and then are headed to San Francisco tomorrow. When this tour is over, we’ll be doing one on our own.

Gazette: From the start you guys seemed to always have some kind of red tape to deal with when it came to your label. Did it take a toll on you?

King: I don’t fault the label for the fact that we didn’t know who we were. Most of the problems we ran into, a lot of it spun from that. …  We were ambiguous in that regard. So, the first thing that happened is that we figured out something about who we were. We figured out the deeper stuff about personality and where we came from, our voice, our religion. And we’re still working on it. We’re learning the other stuff about how we play together. We’re a great live band.   

Gazette: “Armistice” (2009) seemed like a tough one for you guys and it was rumored you had some trouble agreeing on what to record — to the extent that you ended up bringing on an outside producer and starting over. How did the band change over that time and were you all happy with the result?

King: I’m not happy with “Armistice.” I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. I love “Spotlight.” But it’s just that that whole time represents a time that’s full of self-doubt and confusion. … It was a learning process. We had a lot of fun, but overall it’s about making life harder than it needs to be. I’m thankful that I have a document of it. I’ll always treasure it. But we also lost (guitarist Greg Hill) from it. He endured a lot with us, but all the heaviness was too much too deal with.

Gazette: “Odd Soul” was your first self-produced album and also your first effort without Greg Hill. Can you talk a little about how the process was different with a new guitarist? Was there a noticeable difference in your style?

King: Yeah, there was. The goal there was to make a great live album, an album full of songs (that) when (played) in a live show would be great. And I think there was a difference. I go through these cycles when as soon as we finish it — the day we call it done — I love it. Then I start to love it less. The next phase is that I like it again, and then I start to pick it apart because you can’t separate yourself from it. But it’s a leveling out process.

Gazette: Can we talk about “genre?” From the early days of Earthsuit, you’ve been known as Christian artists. You talk about “Odd Soul” being an album that discusses what you refer to as “eccentric Christianity,” that this album gave you the chance to “be more upfront about yourself.” What does that mean?

King: I’ve always loved to tell all the stories about my attempt to be perfect as a teen. When I read the Bible as a kid, I assumed there was no nuance. I took it pretty literally and I was convinced it was my responsibility to be like Jesus. As a kid, there was this idea that everyone was headed to hell and, if that’s the case, it’s got to be my responsibility to save them that from that, right?Now that I’m older, I’m seeing that some of the weight of that expectation was totally self-imposed. I’m at the point now where I have to wrestle with the tough questions in the Bible, I can’t just brush over them. There are times I’m still completely confused and I want to try to figure it all out but that’s part of the burden I have to let go of. I have to get over not always knowing. So, this album was a way to talk about that and about what I feel like was a unique American experience, growing up in that culture.

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