Jordan Mayland, 31, is the singer/guitarist for Jordan Mayland & The Thermal Detonators, performing at Ankeny Unplugged, 5 p.m. Saturday at Wagner Park, 401 W. First St., Ankeny.

Q: You’ve been in a number of bands over the years. What sets The Thermal Detonators apart for you?

It originally started as a solo endeavor; I had some songs that didn’t fit Keepers of the Carpet at the time. I ended up doing all the guitar and drums for an album myself, bringing in people like Becca Smith on violin and Joe Terry on trumpet. It became a fun album that I never got to play live. I started recording another album and got together with some friends so we could play some of the old stuff and some of the new stuff.

Q: How many bands are you working with?

There’s Keepers of the Carpet, but we don’t really do much now. We did get together three or four months ago and did some new stuff. Right now I’m focusing on Volcano Boys’ new album, playing keys in Mantis Pincers, The Films of John C. Reilly, The Wheelers, Tires and playing bass in Nuclear Rodeo. I haven’t done anything with Electronidoll for a while, but I could when I get to it.

Q: Having been a part of all these bands, what made you decide to put your name out there with The Thermal Detonators?

It seemed like a really intimate project; the songs are quite personal and kind of emotional. They’re fun songs to play solo, too. When you strip them down to the skeleton of a song they still work pretty well.