We've all heard the horror stories, about bandmates that come this close to breaking up -- or worse, causing each other physical harm -- because they've been forced to spend too much time together while on the road or in the recording studio.

Well, it would appear that's not quite the case for the members of Montreal orch-rock ensemble The Dears. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"We're like kids," explains bassist Martin Pelland, from on the road outside Toronto, en route to a show tonight at Winnipeg's West End Cultural Centre. "Imagine you're on a trip with your elementary school. That's what it's like in this van. I hear crazy stories about people who can't stand each other, but not us. We always have a great time."

That "great time" sentiment also extends to The Dears' new album Gang of Losers, which -- while not exactly on par with, say, Gwen Stefani's latest -- is nonetheless markedly more cheery than the band's prior outings.

Some critics have theorized the shift in tone can be traced to frontman Murray Lightburn and keyboardist Natalia Yanchak's recent marriage, which took place a year after The Dears' sophomore disc No Cities Left was released. But Pelland says the upswing had more to do with the band's state of mind after a two-year stint of touring than some honeymoon-period contact high.

"No Cities Left was probably seen by some people as a darker record," says Pelland, who eventually has to exit the van to be heard over the boisterous din of his bandmates. "With Gang of Losers, we had been on the road for two years and we wanted to show where we were and that we were all in a good mood ... It's great that we have a chance to not just repeat ourselves.

"It's weird, you know -- there are some people expecting the same stuff. A lot of people have trouble with their favourite band's second record. They get so emotionally attached to the first one, they refuse to allow for any evolution."

Just like the music scribes who insist on drawing comparisons between The Dears and The Smiths. While most of the band's members identify themselves as fans, they're not so enthralled with the lazy journalism that helps perpetuate the link.

Pelland, meanwhile, is helpful in clarifying yet another facet of the band's persona -- that Lightburn's "artistic vision" for The Dears involved creating music rooted in genuine emotion.

"Well, it's not like we sat down and wrote that out on a piece of paper or something," he laughs. "But we were, like, a bunch of emotional people ... The good thing about it is we'll make music that we feel deep down, and we'll play it with all our hearts.

"Whatever job you do in your life, if you don't have emotion in it, then it must be really boring. You've always got to be objective but you still need to make sure it comes from your heart, or what's the point in doing it?"

Tickets for The Dears' show are $21 at Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.ca or 780-333). The show is still all-ages, and tickets purchased for the planned Garrick gig will be honoured.