Ever since Colin Bracewell was young, he has been deeply intertwined with music.

Coming from a musically inclined family, he started playing the violin soon after his cousins did. Later on, as he was growing up, he participated in musical theater and joined a cover band in seventh grade.

Despite his musical upbringing, Bracewell did not decide to create his own music until he came to the University of Minnesota. He started out as a DJ at Radio K, which he said was instrumental in introducing him to the school’s dynamic music scene.

“I feel like the U is pretty connected to the music scene,” Bracewell said. “I mean, there’s the house shows and that’s pretty prevalent throughout Como and Dinky and yeah, [DJing at Radio K] was kind of like a good first step or getting my toes wet.”

Now, Bracewell is set to headline his biggest show yet with his band on Thursday at Fine Line, an iconic Minneapolis music venue that has hosted the likes of Lady Gaga and Prince.

The performance is a release show for his upcoming EP “Cozy,” also out Thursday, which will feature four brand new songs: “It’s Alright,” “Cozy,” “Dancing” and “Dirty Laundry.” The show starts at 8 p.m. with opening sets from Creeping Charlie, Chutes and Pit Stop, all of whom Bracewell has performed with before in what he calls a “full circle moment.”

A departure from his typical work, Bracewell said the music off “Cozy” is more experimental than his previous songs. He added that this EP touches on a multitude of different topics, including growing up, living in the politics of today and deeper experiences that he or his friends have been personally affected by

“With this EP, there’s a lot more variety than what I typically release,” Bracewell said. “Typically it’s just all, you know, love songs.”

While he would not describe it as a “make or break” moment, Bracewell said this show holds a lot of potential and opportunities the group has not experienced before.

Bracewell’s bandmates are also fully aware of how important this performance is for them. Joseph Sicora, the drummer for the band, described Thursday’s show as the next step for the group.

Cole Grundhoefer, who plays guitar and bass in the band, has not been involved in the live music scene for as long as the other members. However, this performance in particular still holds sentimental value to him.

“I remember one of the first shows I ever went to was at Fine Line,” Grundhoefer said. “I remember being there being like, ‘Wow, it would be so cool to play at a venue like this, but that’s so far away,’ and then it was literally like a year later we played it the first time and then another year later, we’re headlining there. So, it’s just kind of mind-blowing for me.”

Their performance at Fine Line is a showing of the band’s growth as a whole. Nathan Loesch, the trumpet and bass player for the group, met Bracewell at the University and started playing gigs with him, which later developed into a permanent spot in the band. Now, Loesch has been in the group for three years.

Loesch specifically remembers a show he and Bracewell played at The Terminal Bar, a smaller venue on Hennepin Avenue, which serves as a testament to their humble beginnings and the steps they have made as a band since then. 

“It’s cool because we obviously have been going at it and rehearsing and developing our sound and getting better as a band over the years,” Loesch said. “It’s just kind of cool to see how the work just pays off as we just continue to do it and obviously it just feels like things are getting bigger and better and we’re doing better and cooler things.”

The “Cozy” EP release show is Thursday at 8 p.m. Buy tickets on First Avenue’s website.