What's that about the best laid plans?

Something about them being worth two in the bush or not counting them before they hatch or something.

Whatever the case, the point is they don't always work out as planned.

That might be one of the lessons to walk away from Winnipeg act The Waking Eyes' first foray into the world of major label releases, Video Sound.

It appeared as though the album were a well-calculated attempt to turn them into Canadian garage rock superstars -- this country's answer to The Strokes, Jet or The Vines.

And it was something of a shock to anyone who was fan of the group's 2001 schizophrenic indie classic Combing the Clouds, or had seen their superlative, all-over-the map live shows.

Video Sound is a very good album, mind you, but it narrowed their focus and, in doing so, lost some of their charm, which guitarist Rusty Matyas readily admits.

"I think that somewhere inside we feel the same way -- just wanting to play good music and not necessarily radio music, which I don't think we've done," says Matyas, who brings the band to SAIT's The Gateway tonight.

"But I also think, put in our position, I think anybody would have made the same decisions to see what happens ...

"We're not ashamed at all to be apart of what we're apart of."

One of the decisions that signalled a stab at success was the use of high-priced producer Arnold Lanni, famous for his work with Our Lady Peace.

It seemed an odd choice, considering Lanni's reliance on studio technology and The Waking Eyes' debut was an album recorded entirely on home computers.

"That was something that naturally at first ... I wouldn't say we were iffy, but I don't think we were ready to just jump on whatever train came our way because we didn't necessarily sound like Simple Plan or Our Lady Peace or Finger Eleven," Matyas says.

Lanni won them over after he sat down with him, listened to the 90 or so songs they had already laid down, and let them know where he could take them.

After six full months, which included paring the list down to 11 and reworking them -- Lanni has writing credits on most of the songs -- the album was finally done.

Again, Matyas is quick to point out he's proud of the record and thinks the "ends justify the means."

Unfortunately, though, while gaining them a slow-growing following -- one that's been helped by their constant touring -- the disc hasn't yet translated into those big things.

But Matyas says it doesn't bother him or his bandmates -- or even their label for that matter, which he says has been nothing but encouraging and supportive -- considering that they never had delusions of grandeur when it came to Video Sound.

"As far as we were concerned, we never expected anything," he says.

"It's exceeded all of our expectations, and it's great for us.

"We're appreciative of everything we get to do."