Calling your band IAmDynamite could be setting yourself up for failure. But the duo of Christopher Martin and Chris Phillips have nothing to worry about when it comes to the boastfully winking declaration/band name.

The pair – who divide their time between Martin’s Detroit base and Phillips’ home in Raleigh – may very well be the best new band you’ve never heard of … unless you caught them with Blue October or Candlebox at the Fillmore Charlotte. They’ll return to the venue Sunday with Sum 41.

Martin and Phillips met in high school in Ann Arbor, Mich., and have been playing music together ever since. They stuck together off and on through college and while teaching music, but when their last four-piece band fell apart, they decided to try to take music more seriously as a duo.

“We weren’t going anywhere. We were just doing circles around Ann Arbor, Detroit... . We didn’t have any focus,” Phillips says. “Chris and I always did the writing together, so we had the idea of, ‘Let’s do that as a duo.’ ”

Aside from living in separate cities, being a duo is logistically easier in “every respect,” says Phillips, who moved to Raleigh when his wife got a job offer from pharmaceutical company.

“When we’d call our practice (days) or even a show (as a duo), we’d play anywhere any time. If we’re writing or discussing artwork, it’s not majority rules, so there’s never any weird feelings getting hurt or anything like that,” he adds.

There is one drawback, he says. “If one of us is off (live), then everything is off. The nice thing is, it’s quickly covered up.”

Despite the popularity of stripped-down Midwestern pairings like the Black Keys and the White Stripes, they drew their inspiration from Seattle grunge, which was blowing up on the radio when they were teenagers.

“I know right now that’s not current,” Phillips says. “We aren’t trying to be the second coming of grunge. Being from a small town put us in that situation.”

As adults, they’re paying more attention to what’s going on elsewhere musically. That’s one reason they can easily shift from opening for a pop, punk or metal band to going on after an acoustic solo act like Edwin McCain.

“We want to stretch ourselves and pay attention to what (appeals to) 40-year-old dads and 8-year-old kids. What’s current? What’s the new thing? It’s a big bubble to go through.”

The recipe is Martin on guitar, Phillips on drums and the occasional trumpet, with both singing and harmonizing on songs that you can’t help but tap your foot and nod your head to. Their debut album, “Supermegafantastic,” is a collection of incredibly snappy, smart pop-rock songs. It also lives up to its name – quirky, tight and direct, with one memorable track after another. It’s as fresh as early Weezer or the Violent Femmes were in their day.

And if there’s a formula for IAmDynamite, it’s to make music that’s simple, energetic and upbeat. Says Phillips: “We want to make it as fun as possible.”