Nearly every successful band has lived through a disastrous tour. For Brampton, Ontario's Moneen, theirs involved two van breakdowns in three weeks, leaving members behind to continue on acoustically, a 40 hour drive to reunite the band with their van and then, to add insult to injury, the merchandise money being stolen right from it.

“We had no gear for a while. At one point we were relying on every other band on the tour [so much] that we were unsure if we could even call ourselves a band anymore,” laughed lead singer/guitarist Kenny Bridges on the phone from Regina, Saskatchewan. They're making their way eastward, playing at London's Call the Office on December 8. “The perseverance of just keeping on and not letting all this get to us… it sounds stupid, but it really did feel like it made us stronger in the end.”

And though Bridges insists: “Lady luck has been trying to sabotage us and trying to stop the existence of Moneen,” as soon as the Canadian leg of the tour started, fate sided with the four emo/indie rockers.

“We haven't toured Canada in two and a half years, [so] we didn't really know what to expect, but it's been completely overwhelming to us. Last night, Edmonton was so crazy that I literally didn't even play [fan favourite] Start Angry... End Mad with the band. The whole crowd did all the singing for us and for half of the song I was literally in the front crowd playing the role of a super fan.”

It was a great relief for the band, especially since there has been worry over the reception of Moneen's new album, The World I Want To Leave Behind. Co-produced by Brian Moncarz (Pilot Speed, Circa Survive) and David Bottrill (Tool, Silverchair), it's a departure from previous effort The Red Tree, and critics have described it as more polished, and melodically tactful. But most of all, it's the band's most mature offering to date.

“We're older now and you see the world differently,” said Bridges. “The last record, The Red Tree was looking at the world from the outside in because I was so overwhelmed with everything that was going on around us.” On the contrary, The World I Want to Leave Behind is “a personal record, but it's not about personal relationships. It's more about [figuring] out how we fit into the world and what to do with it, even if it's as simple as [asking] ‘What do I do with my day?'”

Personally, the band has matured as well. Moneen's new drummer, Chris Nunnaro is father to a young child, and Chris “Hippy” Hughes, recently got married.

“In the last two years, [time] has hit me more than ever,” recalled Bridges, “We've been working hard, but other parts in life have caught up to us quicker than we expected. Ten years ago, [Hippy] would've never [thought] that he would be married and be in a band, but the reality of it is, it can work, you just can't over think, [or you] just start freaking out.”

And as long as they're enjoying playing, writing and recording, the band has no plans to quit. In fact, the guys remain dedicated and surprisingly optimistic, giving the adversity they've had to overcome.

Bridges left for sound check, saying, “All my favourite bands are the ones that have horror stories of how they got to where they are and I don't think our story's much different. So I can only hope that maybe we'll be looked up to as a Canadian band that fought our way through all the crap.”

And with 10 years of recording, touring, and sharing their energy with crowds, Moneen are sure to leave some kind of mark behind on this world.

Moneen will be playing at Call the Office on December 8. Tickets are $12.50, available on ticketscene.ca