Yes, the members of the Brunettes used to date. And yes, the band broke up after their yearlong relationship ended. But it didn’t last—the band breakup, that is.

“Maybe weeks later, we just decided musically we meant more to each other, and we needed each other,” says singer/guitarist Jonathan Bree.

Lucky us. Thanks to just-friends Bree and singer/multi-instrumentalist Heather Mansfield, this up-and-coming New Zealand group—in top form on their third album and Sub Pop debut, “Structures and Cosmetics”—captures all of indie pop’s purity without any of its simplicity. The band, currently in the midst of their first U.S. headlining tour, also delivers multi-textured arrangements that manage to be charming without being overly cutesy.

From Sub Pop’s Seattle offices, Bree and Mansfield explained their own cuteness and the benefits of playing in a band with your ex.

How does the band benefit from your past romantic relationship?
Heather Mansfield: I guess we’re not going to get together and then break up and have to break up the band, cuz we’ve already done that. It’s not going to be weird if we’re singing love songs to each other, being concerned that we might fall into a romantic relationship…
Jonathan Bree: We got all that kind of tension out of the way.

What was the goal of “Structures and Cosmetics”?
JB: Something that isn’t quite as diverse. The other albums were quite…
HM: Crappy. The other ones we threw in some fillers, but this one is just all hits, man.
JB: In the past we’ve been quite focused on the two-and-a-half minute pop song blueprint, and with this album that wasn’t so much of a concern anymore. I really just wanted to develop each song, and it felt good to extend past that small limitation of time.

You have a song “Brunettes Against Bubblegum Youth.” If you could be involved in a bubblegum tour, who would you want on that?
JB: The Jackson Five.
HM: I had a dream the other night that we got the support for ABBA. But now?
JB: I don’t know much about what modern bubblegum would be.
HM: Justin Timberlake was playing in Vancouver last night, just across the road. We did fantasize for a little bit about who his support was.
JB: Really, did we?
HM: Yeah, we did.
JB: I wasn’t fantasizing about that.

How do you feel about the term “twee” to describe cute-sounding pop?
JB: Isn’t that a negative usually?
HM: Yeah, it’s like annoyingly cute, you know. But Camera Obscura and Architecture in Helsinki, they might get called that as well, and it’s awesome to be put up with them.
JB: It’s probably more fitting for a band like us than Nickelback or something. It’s fine. I’m not going to cry about it.

You don’t find Nickelback cute?
JB: That’s the one with the guy with the really long hair, isn’t it?
HM: Yeah, and it’s kind of ratty looking.
JB: They could be cute. I don’t know.
HM: We haven’t met them so we’re not going to comment on that.

OK. Is “Flight of the Conchords” stealing your thunder as New Zealand imports?
JB: Totally!
HM: People don’t even laugh at us anymore. Also, it’s so great for it not just to be the place that “Lord of the Rings” was filmed.
JB: “You guys are from Middle Earth, oh!”