Unlike some bands, they perform on their album, and they spend extra time perfecting their arrangements.

"Where we are now is definitely as good as it's ever been, and it's getting better," says Miner. "We can go to a lot of cities and draw a pretty good crowd. It's a hard road to get there. You have to play a lot of places. The deal with Capitol is huge for us. They have so much visibility. Millions of people heard 'Dream Big.' We're going to continue to do what we do musically. We don't want to change to what someone else might want; we're just doing what we do."

In the end, the sheer joy and pleasure Shupe and his band derive from playing their music for audiences — so evident in their ebullient, almost giddy stage presence — has been what has sustained them through the years.

"I don't need to make millions," says Shupe. "There's a lot more to music than just being funneled through the giant music machine. What it really comes down to is if people leave your show feeling uplifted; they're going to come back. It's more a labor of love. You have to love it because you're most likely not going to strike it rich.

"People e-mail and write letters to tell us how our songs have helped them. I keep them all. I'm blessed — I get to play music and travel and meet lots of cool people and hopefully make a difference in people's lives."

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E-mail: drob@desnews.com