Second Cup Café: Augustana

Modern Rockers Reap Rewards From Dues Paid On The Road

(CBS)  Modern rockers Augustana have only been together three years, but their relentless touring schedule has made them seasoned veterans of the road.

They visit Second Cup Café to play songs from their debut album,"All The Stars And Boulevards," which they describe as "a young and scared record...and it's real and from our hearts."

The modern rock band was formed by college buddies Dan Layus on vocals, piano, guitar; Jared Palomar on bass, keyboards, vocals; guitarist-vocalist Josiah Rosen; and Justin South on drums. They decided to leave school and devote themselves to music full-time.

They recorded "All The Stars And Boulevards" in Atlanta in late 2004, and released it the following year. They thought the album would put them on the fast track to fame, but things didn't turned out as planned.

"Putting out the record followed a pretty standard plan: Go with a single, and hope it connects," explains Layus in press notes accompanying the album. "It didn't. But that was better for us in the end, because we had the chance to go out and play for two years."

And play they did, as they opened for bands like Snow Patrol, Counting Crows, the Fray, Switchfoot, and the Goo Goo Dolls.

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Photos: Musicians In Concert

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Rosen eventually left the band and was replaced on lead guitar by a childhood friend of South's, Chris Sachtleban. They also added John Fredericks on piano and Hammond B3 organ.

Thanks to their numerous live performances the band has managed to grow a diverse fan base.

"It's been a pleasant surprise to see people aged 5 to 55 enjoy us," says Layus.

"All The Stars And Boulevards" has already been certified gold, as has their single, "Boston."

The band is still logging plenty of hours on the road, including headlining a national tour in March and April. At the end of the month, they'll be on the bill of the MTV Campus Invasion tour.