One of Sacramento's favorite local bands is local no more. Agent Ribbons will no longer be based in Sacramento.

After a farewell show Thursday night at Old Ironsides, singer/songwriter/guitarist Natalie Gordon is going to be calling Austin, Texas home.

At least for a little while.

"I'm going down there with the intention of moving back to Sacramento at some point," Gordon said on the phone Wednesday before the band played a gig in San Francisco. "But I want to try somewhere new. My life's just really open right now."

The band, which began as a duo consisting of Gordon and drummer/singer Lauren Hess, became a trio in the last couple of years with the addition of violinist Naomi Cherie, who came to the band while living in...Austin.

"We've been flying Naomi up here all the time for our tours, and it would give me more time to work with her. And just going there on tours and stuff, we really like Austin a lot," she added. "They're super supportive. They treat us like a local band.

"Austin has a really diverse music scene. It's as diverse as the Bay area, I think," Gordon said. "It has that reputation (of being very roots-oriented), but we're not even remotely roots music, and there's a lot of music there that's not really that rootsy."

Drummer Hess will remain in Sacramento for the time being, as she has a good job here. But Gordon said that she, too, is thinking about moving, perhaps to the Bay Area.

In the next few months, the band will be dropping its long-delayed second album, following up its November 2006 debut album. Gordon said that the new album, recorded at popular downtown studio The Hangar, is a departure for the band. Not only is it one member stronger, Gordon said the band has found a sound that she said works better for the members.

The band members worked with Producer Scott McChane at The Hangar, a downtown studio that Gordon called "our ideal place to record," and said that in addition to the violin, Lauren sings more backing vocals, and though it retains the band's minimalist sound, "there's a lot more going on. We suggest big epic things with small little sounds still, but the development is more encompassing."

But despite the changes, Gordon said Agent Ribbons "will always be a Sacramento band."

"We have a lot of really loyal fans in Sacramento - there's no place that compares to Sacramento," she said. "But attendance (at shows) is down. It's definitely waned a bit since we started the band. Sacramento's music scene ebbs and flows a lot, and we see the success that we've had in other places, so we want to explore that (and) just focus some energy outside of the west coast for a while."

Thursday night's show will be opened by Dog Party and Knock Knock. Showtime is 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $7. Old Ironsides is located at 1901 10th St.