Calculating Collapse are about to take take their ferociously metal blend of thrasy hardcore on a cross-Canada tour, drawing on the many invaluable lessons learned since the band first formed in the winter of 2006 to help get them ready for the journey.

“We have toured through parts of British Columbia and Saskatchewan before. The last time we went on tour was a year and half ago, before we began prepping for our upcoming album,” says guitarist Arjun Roy, one of the founding members of the Grande Prairie-based quintet.

“A few days into the tour we all realized what touring and being a gigging band was actually like. It’s so easy to romanticize the life of a touring band, but the reality is that you drive together like sardines and, since we live in Canada, you drive two, five, 12 hours at a time, pay for gas and food out of your own pocket, bathe in rivers and lakes and totally live like bums,” he reveals.

While some hard lessons may be learned during those first shows and tours a band puts together, there are definitely some positive and motivational factors.

As Roy points out, “There’s no money in it, but you learn very quickly that it’s purely the love of playing that gets you through the tours, and that really polarizes things for people who aren’t in it for the same reasons.”

All the hard work Calculating Collapse has put in is definitely paying off. The Alberta metallers signed with Torque Records in Aug. of 2008, and completed recording their upcoming album The Fractal Disorder just four months later.

“We decided to go with Torque because they offered the type of distribution and exposure that would really help out a band in our position: they work with Victory Records and Universal Records. Realistically, we know that there was no holding for ‘the big deal’ that many bands think will just come along and reap instant stardom and riches. It takes hard work on many levels to go a point where you can put out CDs and tour behind them regularly and we felt that the places Torque could get us and our music would channel our hard work towards that end.” explains Roy.

As you’re about to embark on a cross-Canada tour, what has the band done to promote yourselves in other provinces?

We’ve had shows set up by promoters who do the PR work to make sure the show is successful. Aside from that, we’re really trying to spread the word via MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. We try to make contacts with bands in other provinces too, as the network created by up-and-coming touring bands is what drives a lot of the booking. We’re also trying to look up Internet and college radio stations to talk to when we’re in their neck of the woods and, if possible, get some airplay with songs off the CD.

How do you choose the cities and venues to play in?

At this point, the band tries to book as much as possible; the only real way for us to get our names out there is to get out there and play absolutely everywhere we can. The booking begins with basic itinerary and tour route, after that we make a list of every city and town, the venues and promoters available, and start calling and emailing to get the process going.

Do you have much control in choosing the line up for the shows you play?

We do and don’t have control over the bills in other towns. Some shows we set up with bands we know and have played with in other places, and other bills are filled by the promoter in that town.

What do you look for in bands sharing the stage with you?

Generally, we try and make friends with punk/metal/hardcore bands who are active like us and try to trade shows. Almost all of the time the bands we talk to and trade shows with are bands that are hard working and tight as a live unit. It’s always great to meet and discover really good bands like that.

What did you learn from the first few attempts at setting up and promoting your shows?

I learned a LOT! Everything from how to manage time, resources and people, to how to think of every little detail so as to plan for anything that can go wrong. That’s one thing about putting on and promoting shows: something always goes wrong, no matter how meticulously you’ve planned things. The big thing that setting up and promoting shows reinforces is the value of hard work and tenacity; those permeate every aspect of being a band trying to make it.

How have your methods of self-promotion evolved since the band started?

In the beginning, we’d talk to friends and put up posters. Nowadays, we’ve learned to poster efficiently, utilize MySpace and Facebook to promote and invite people, we’ve made friends with people in radio and in the newspapers who help spread the word about shows and, most importantly, to be very active in promoting ourselves 24/7. Using YouTube is very important too. We’re trying to get live videos of us up, as well as other content. We talk to total strangers on the streets, at the CD stores, hit up schools if it’s an all-ages show, and remind people about shows until I’m sure they’re annoyed with us.

Has being signed to a label changed the way the band operates?

The end result is what is changing. We are able to reach more people and have our hard work pay off in a bigger way because of the label’s involvement. We still work as hard as we did, writing, jamming, gigging and booking shows.

What can you tell us about the new album?

The release date on the album has been pushed back by a few weeks [from Aug. 18] and we’re waiting to hear about the final date. The album is a collection of tunes that sum up where most of us were at about a year ago, musically and lyrically. The songs range from metalcore to European-tinged thrash, and are a part of a soundtrack to a band coming together and finding its musical voice. We’re all so diverse in our interests, not only metal-wise but just musically, that the last two stages of the writing process found the music starting to thrashier, more noodly, and just different in sound. The songs “300,000,” “Fractal Sight of Consequence” and “Death at this Hour” in particular are from the end of the writing process. The music is inspired by all sorts of stuff – from personal thoughts and issues to situations in everyday life and from the world in general. For example, “300,000″ is about Idi Amin’s despotism, written after watching the movie “The Last King of Scotland.”

How much promotion has the band been doing for the album and how much has come from the label?

We’ve been trying to promote ad nauseum Online and in person, but the real promotion will kick in once the label finalizes a release date. The label will send out press releases, CDs to review, we’ll be featured in a few magazines and on metal-themed websites. We’ll have a video out on MuchLoud as well.

What is the most important lesson learned during your time in Calculating Collapse?

The biggest thing is that it’s only hard work and diligence that pay off. It’s not enough to be just a tight band nowadays; you have to be very active in promoting yourself and tour lots in order to make anything happen. The other big thing is to be frugal with money and to save whenever possible – there’s no money in music for a big chunk of your career so don’t be wasteful!

Do you have any “what not to do” advice for bands just starting?

Don’t be complacent, don’t be lazy, don’t waste your money, don’t wait for opportunity to fine you, don’t hesitate to jump when you’re on the precipice, don’t be afraid to slum it while touring, and don’t be afraid of success.