SANDPOINT - The members of the band Sarabeth are more focused on giving than receiving this Christmas.

With their first album, "Hello World," complete and a future of performances opening before them, sisters Sarah, Rachel and Bethany Byrum are excited to share their musical passion with the rest of the world.

"There's really no limit to our goals as a band," Rachel Byrum said. "We'll play our music anywhere to anyone that wants to hear it."

Since starting Sarabeth in 2008, the sisters have been steadily writing songs for the project. But they had been hard at work long before they gave themselves a name. Since they were young girls, Sarah, Rachel and Bethany - now 21, 18 and 14, respectively - have been singing together. Those playful performances generated a rapport and laid the groundwork for their much more serious efforts today. It also provided the group with its name - a simple combination of the first letters in the members' names.

Once the girls became a little older, they began learning their instruments. Sarah took up the piano at 12 years old, while Rachel learned the guitar at age 7. As the youngest member of the band, Bethany picked up the bass guitar a year and a half ago and rapidly made strides in her skill.

"I didn't know what to think when I first started, but as I got better, I really started to enjoy it," Bethany said.

It didn't take the siblings long to find their musical voice after starting Sarabeth. They already knew what they enjoyed about established artists like British alternative rock band Coldplay or Icelandic post-rock outfit Sigur Rs. Their close relationship as sisters eased the process of collaborating and developing their ideas. Finally, the girls relied on their own musical intuition to finalize their approach.

The resulting sound struck a balance between individualism and accessibility.

"We wanted to be different and do our own thing," Rachel said.

"But at the same time, we wanted to be universal," Sarah added. "We wanted our music to appeal to everyone."

Similarly, the girls drew from several sources in crafting their lyrics. Their Christian faith was one big influence, as were the common trials and tribulations of everyday life.

"We never want to be considered the kind of band that only writes songs about one particular topic," Sarah said.

After hours upon hours of work in the studio, Sarabeth has completed "Hello World," an appropriate title for an album that will serve as its musical introduction. The girls selected its 14 tracks from a catalogue of more than 100 songs they have recorded over the years. The Byrums determined their final album composition by picking songs with a sense of narrative flow.

"We really want to tell stories through our music," Sarah said.

The songs on "Hello World" rely primarily on the three performers' intricate vocal harmonies. The vocal gymnastics are layered atop Sarah's strong piano foundation and bolstered further by Rachel's acoustic guitar and Bethany's bass.

Despite all their hard work, the Byrums said "Hello World" wouldn't exist without the help of a large support group. The album's producer, lifelong musician Rod Ferguson, proved especially critical. After hearing the girls sing together by chance, he introduced himself and expressed an interest in producing an album. Using Ferguson's music studio Hands to the Plow, the trio recorded their first album under professional guidance.

As if cutting an album wasn't enough work, Sarabeth had plenty of side-projects in the spare hours. The girls composed and recorded the score to their brother Stephen's first short film "The Victor." They have already completed the outlines for their next two albums.

"Hello World" will be available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon and other major online retailers after the first of the new year. However, people after an early taste can secure a copy immediately by calling Bob Byrum, the girls' father and manager, at (877) 380-7465.

Sarabeth performed a free Christmas concert at Grace Sandpoint Church Thursday. The evening featured popular Christmas songs set to Sarabeth's arrangements.

"It's kind of like our gift to the community," Sarah said.

After the holidays, the Byrums are looking forward to hitting the road and experiencing the touring life. No matter what lies ahead, however, Sandpoint will always be their home.

"The girls want to launch out of Sandpoint," Bob Byrum said. "They want this town to be able to claim Sarabeth as its band."

Learn more about Sarabeth at www.sarabeththeband.com or their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SARABETHMUSIC.