Lead singer Matt Parrish and guitarist Justin Lofton, co-founders of the Houston-based Americana band Market Junction are hoping to start working on their third record by the end of 2017.

The band has performed at Dosey Doe several times, and it has been a featured guest on “Real Life Real Music,” which is a local radio show produced at Dosey Doe.

“The goal is to be full time,” Parrish said. “We think we could accomplish that as soon as the end of 2017, as late as never. We’re just going at it as best we can and hoping it works out.”

Market Junction’s first album, “Heroes Have Gravestones,” was released in 2012. The band’s sophomore album, “Against the Grindstone,” was released in May. Although no singles were released from the first album, the band put out a separate radio single called “Give it Time” in 2015, and its latest single, “All I Really Need,” is from the band’s most recent album.

“[There are] a lot of slow depressing songs on the first album,” Lofton said. “Those are easier to write for us, but we learned at shows, when we play a record like that, everybody gets depressed.”

After its first album, the band received advice encouraging them to write different sounding songs in different tempos, Parrish said.

“We took that to heart,” he said. “I don’t think we have a lot of fast tunes on the new record, but it’s got more of an upbeat feel than the last record for sure. That, and I think we tell a better story this time around.”

More recently, Market Junction collaborated with Texas country artist Cory Morrow, and one song they co-wrote will be on Morrow’s new album. Writing songs with other artists is something the band is passionate about doing, Lofton said.

“That was part of the goal from the beginning,” Lofton said. “We like songwriting so much, we wanted that to be one of the main focuses of our venture. Unfortunately, if no one knows who you are, they don’t want to write with you. We need the band name to gain some popularity just so there is something recognizable with songs behind it for artists like Cory.”

The band has also gotten the opportunity to work with singer-songwriter Jack Saunders, who has been in the music industry since the 1970s. Saunders has played on and helped produce both Market Junction records.

For artists wanting to get their names in the spotlight, or for those wanting to take their careers to the next level, Parrish said early gigs may not be glamorous, but it is important to go do them because every artist has to start somewhere.

“Everyone’s road map is so different,” Parrish said. “You have to make good music, and you have to surround yourself with people that believe in you and [who] are honest with you and can help you get to the next phase. That’s been a lot of different people for us throughout time.”