He lives in Toronto. His band, though originally from Oshawa, now regularly gathers and rehearses in Toronto -- the four musicians spread across four southern Ontario cities.

But, according to bassist Kyle Donnelly, The D'Urbervilles are not a Toronto band.

"We still consider ourselves a Guelph band," Donnelly proudly proclaims. "I joined the band while they were in Guelph. We were a band there for three years ... I guess you have to be in a band in Guelph to understand the tenacious grasp it holds on you, but I don't think we would ever call ourselves a Toronto band."

The quartet's MySpace site does however allow that the quartet hails from "Guelph/Hamilton/Oshawa/Toronto, Ontario." Just to avoid any confusion.

"I suppose we feel that we have many homes across the country," Donnelly muses. "We definitely feel a connection to several of the cities we've played.

"But we still hold a soft spot for Guelph."

That sense of belonging is echoed in many of the songs on the band's album, We are the Hunters, a spirited collection of post-punk originals marked musically by stabbing Gang of Four guitar fills, front-and-centre melodic basslines and driving percussion embellished by handclaps.

Lyrically, the songs speak almost invariably from a we're-all-in-this-together standpoint. Save for the pseudo-Bela Lugosi's Dead instrumental that opens the proceedings, only one song, the cynical Hot Tips, speaks to, rather than of, us.

"A lot of that collective aspect of the lyrics just comes from the nature of a band," Donnelly suggests. "It's not just four individuals, there really is a sense of 'us.' People used to come up to us in Guelph and say, 'Hey, it's The D'Urbervilles,' rather than calling us by our individual names."

At which point, presumably, Donnelly and bandmates John O'Regan and Tim Bruton would hop into the D'Urbervillemobile and speed off to a new adventure.

Much as they are doing now, as they prepare to hit Capital City in the midst of a tour that will take the band to the West Coast from the Maritimes before wrapping up May 1 in Toronto, with a show April 24 in Guelph.

But if The D'Urbervilles feel secure as a unit, Donnelly admits the three musicians who first joined forces in Guelph some three years ago have nonetheless "been through a lot of drummer changes." We are the Hunters features contributions from two drummers. A third helped to fulfill touring commitments until Greg Santilly joined the founding trio late last year.

"He's not on the album but he joined in time to sneak his way onto the 'thank you' list," Donnelly says of the band's latest percussionist.

"It was really beginning to feel like it was three of us and a drummer," Donnelly admits. "But I remember when Greg came to the audition he already knew all our songs. I don't think we had to stop once. I like to think he's in it for the long haul."

Of course, that might depend on how well Santilly, a Hamiltonian, adapts to being from Guelph.