While chatting about the making of the Pop Rivets’ self-titled first album, I was lucky enough to be with them during their radio debut on WROV’s Homegrown Show (which showcases emerging regional talent Sunday nights at 9 p.m.). The cut — a slice of pure power-pop heaven called "On and On" — has all the qualities that make a proper hit: sharp, hook-laden guitar lines, a driving beat and an instantly memorable chorus.

At the end, there was a moment of silence before all three band members broke into proud grins.

Q: So, how did that feel?

A: Jason Hill (vocals/guitar): That was cool — very nice! I guess that’s what you try to do, you know? Make a song that gets played on the radio. And then get followed up by a commercial for a monster truck rally in Salem. (Laughing) That’s really the icing on the cake!

Q: Tell us a little about the record.

A: Brian Holt (bass, vocals): We did it at Southwest Recording Studios with Chuck Crush, who produced and engineered it with us.

Jason: Not only is he good at what he does, he’s a great person to hang with. You tell him what you want and he works right alongside you. Plus, he has great ideas and is a real blast to work with.

Ted Grigorieff (drums): James Pace (Non Profits) also played keys on two songs and Bobby Moore (Bebop Hoedown) picked some banjo on "Burt Reynolds’ Jeans." They did a really great job.

Q: The CD’s quite humorous. "Schlick ’Em" — a love song — contains the lines: "I don’t know if it’s the 15 or 20 beers I had, babe/Or the smell of your sweet perfume . . . ” all set to sexy, slinky, soul music. It really kills.

A: Jason: There’s a lot of tongue-in-cheek lyrical content. If you add the humor factor, people can tell you’re having fun.

Brian: There’s a tendency for bands to take themselves too seriously — which is important — but mostly you’re up there to enjoy yourself.

Q: So are you pleased?

A: Brian: We all went in with a similar vision and came out with something beyond everything we could foresee. It’s a really cool feeling. Everything worked out better than we ever could have planned.