Last March, Binghamton University’s own Raincoat Company was a bunch of rowdy boys with an immense amount of untapped potential. Now, after some member shuffling and a newfound drive, it seems as if they’ve gotten their act together.

The band is made up of four seniors — lead singer and guitarist Mike “Face” Sposato, lead guitarist Bob Ryan, bassist Max Slonim and self-proclaimed height man, Ariel “Elemeno” Plotkin — and a sophomore, Wayne Papke on drums. Raincoat Company’s members share a lot in common, but one of their biggest bonds is their love of music.

Their tastes are eclectic, ranging from Prince to My Morning Jacket to They Might Be Giants, which is an ’80s pop/rock band that now produces children’s songs, and whom Plotkin and Sposato drove to Manhattan to see live at the American Museum of Natural History.

“We got there at 4 a.m. and went out for a little bit before we got to the museum at seven,” Plotkin said. “We thought there would be this huge line but there was like no one there. I mean, it was a fucking children’s show at The Museum of Natural History. No one is going to wait in line for that.”

The band has a sound that’s hard to pinpoint — they’ve been compared to everyone from New York Dolls to Television to one of their least favorite bands, Arctic Monkeys — but one thing is for sure, their songs are definitely catchy.

“As long as we’re being compared to a successful band, I’ll take it as a compliment,” Ryan said.

Their songs are primarily written by Face and Ryan, while the awkward yet lovable Plotkin, who was the former bassist, adds some dance moves and backup vocals.

“We tried to kick him out at one point because he was so horrible at bass,” Face said. “But our first show without him was a complete disaster.”

Playing in the Binghamton music scene has allowed Raincoat Company to hone its performance and test out new songs. It has played at On the Roxx on Court Street, at a Binghamton Undergrounds show opening for Nightmare of You, and Laurel Bowl in Binghamton, where it was the first band ever to perform — a title it holds proudly.

“We’re pretty much booked every weekend,” Face said.

However, with the small Binghamton population and their tendency to write songs based on personal experiences (read: bad breakups), awkward situations have ensued.

“It’s fun for everyone not involved,” Plotkin said.

But the members’ newfound serious commitment has kept them busy and left little time for dating.

“[Raincoat Company] is the longest relationship I’ve ever had,” Ryan said.

Raincoat Company has begun to spread its venue horizons to other areas, including Boston, Geneseo and New York City. The band also plans to play in Ohio this weekend, though its biggest dream is to play in Madison Square Garden or the Vatican.

“We want to do something that no one has ever done,” Slonim said.

The band plans to move to the New York City area after graduation in May, and Papke will transfer to Stony Brook University to continue drumming.

Papke, a dedicated drummer who breaks multiple sticks every practice and show, is one of the main reasons Raincoat Company began to take its craft more seriously, according to Ryan. He joined the band in September after the former drummer left.

“He had been coming to our shows for a while so he pretty much knew all of our songs,” Ryan said. “Our first practice we had together he was ready with suggestions and improvements.”

Recently, the band made its first music video for its single “Bathroom Stalls,” created and edited by photographer friend, Andrew Simek. The video is an NSFW piece filmed in a men’s bathroom on campus and can be found on the group’s MySpace (www.myspace.com/raincoatcompany) or on YouTube.