Warren Oakes, James Bowman, Andrew Seward and Tom Gabel are willing their van through a blinding snowstorm, denied the opportunity to fully appreciate the New Jersey scenery as it rolls by. They're determined to make it to Sayreville, one of three dozen cities their band, Against Me!, will visit in about as many days.
"It's the only way to make a real connection with people," Oakes says of maintaining such a punishing tour schedule.
"Nobody buys CDs anymore. The only way to be a band is to get out there and play shows. There's no way to download the live experience."
Somewhat ironically, Against Me! is touring in the wake of a live release, the band's third and last album for the punk-centric label Fat Wreck Chords. We may hear a song or two from the band's upcoming Sire Records debut; however, Oakes insists, this tour's mission is not necessarily to shift product.
"We've never really abided by that standard band schedule of album-tour-album-tour," he explains.
"We're a touring band. Sure, it's been a while since the last album came out and we can't pretend people are hearing the songs for the first time. But we've rested enough; now we're restless."
Restlessness has been a dominant theme in the socially conscious quartet's work since Gabel began giving folksy-punk solo performances under the name Against Me! in Gainesville, Fla., 10 years ago.
By 2002 and the release of the band's full-length debut, Reinventing Axl Rose, Against Me! had officially become a four-piece, with all current members in place.
Even if, as Oakes acknowledges, some still view Against Me! as something akin to a solo act.
"It's understandable that people think of it as Tom's band," Oakes says. "Every album has had solo acoustic songs on it, and there have even been solo acoustic releases. But this lineup has been together for five years, and I think if any one of us were to leave, that would be the end of the band."
The decision to sign a deal with Sire Records, and to graduate from the indie ranks, suggests no one is planning to leave in the immediate future.
No band members, that is. Some longtime fans have recently (and not for the first time) accused their punk-rock heroes of selling out their anarchist, anti-corporate ideals.
"We all felt it was the best decision for us to make at this time," Oakes says in defence of the Sire signing.
"At the end of the day, it's the four of us that have to live with the results of the decisions we make. And we are going to make those decisions with the four of us in mind.
"This band has consistently been a target of attacks from certain parts of the punk community; I feel like we're providing a case study for punk analysts. But it doesn't have a lot to do with us, personally.
"Did we sell out? A better issue, if people want something to discuss, is whether or not music should even be a capitalist venture. In Scandinavian countries, bands are provided government subsidies to create their art; it's a different attitude. That should be the issue. Because whether it's small-business capitalism on an indie label or big-business capitalism on a major label, it's just variations on a theme. It's the same mechanism in place, either way.
"It's like winning a lottery, being able to make a living playing in a band. We've been able to do it the way we want to do it. And I sleep very well at night, thank you."
Of course, for a touring band, that might vary according to the accommodations.
