By RYAN DeGAMA --

Brad Merritt, bassist for 54-40, is having some trouble doing this interview.

His well-considered response to a question about musical growth is cut short when he has to stop his two-year-old son from jumping around the fireplace. That's pretty much indicative of the situation the group finds itself in.

Now in their mid-30s, band members are performing a precarious high-wire act balancing their personal lives and the need to continue making vital music.

"We've never suffered from arrested adolescence," says Merritt, who will take to the stage with his bandmates Saturday at the Stampede.

"That's how we were able to make the progress we did in our early- and middle-20s."

That progress has built the band a devoted fan base that includes Hootie and the Blowfish, who recently covered 54-40's I Go Blind.

"They (Hootie) used to come to our shows in Washington, D.C., like eight years ago," says Merritt. "They'd break in backstage and eat our pizza, drink our beer and we'd be like, `Get outta here.'

"You wouldn't believe the reverence these guys have for us. It's sick," laughs Merritt.

54-40 will be doing some opening dates for Hootie when Trusted By Millions is out in the U.S.

The record is already charting in Canada.

Love You All, the first single, was born at an unusual venue in Hamburg, Germany, where the band was opening for Midnight Oil.

"We were playing in this giant U-boat factory. It's a 50-year-old factory where they built these Second World War submarines," says Merritt.

Since Midnight Oil didn't need a sound check, the group had the underground place to themselves, so they played floor hockey and jammed.

"At one sound check, Neil (Osborne, the lead singer) started in with a line and I came in with some bass and it turned into this magical kind of thing. The song was all there ... in about 15 minutes," says Merritt.

"That's the rush. That's the only reason we do this."

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