On the first day they got a flat tire. Not exactly how they expected to begin their cross-country tour, but it didn’t stop them.

Neither did the next two flats. Or the 18-hour drives in a cramped van. Or living on a strict diet of fast food and energy drinks. Or sleeping on a stranger’s floor.

To Alcina, these were merely inconveniences. After all, music is life and therefore touring is living. The group’s members’Wes Breedwell (vocals), Kyle Errickson (guitar), Brandon Keyser (guitar), Chad Burroughs (drums) and Cory Castro (bass)’all claim Nashville as home.

Alcina takes its name from a Handel opera about a daring knight, his fianc’ and the adventures that bring them together and tear them apart. Like their namesake, the group left the Music City area seeking action and adventure. Nearly 5,000 miles later they’ve returned with new memories, friends, industry contacts and, hopefully, a few leads on their big break. Over the course of their tour, I spent several hours on the phone with members of the band to get an idea of what it takes to put on and follow through with a tour. Planning for tours takes major labels months, but at the indie level it’s nothing more than a few phone calls. Luckily for them, the hardest part about touring was the easiest this time around.

’We knew we were going out with A Plea [for Purging, another local metal band], and they’d already been out to Cali, so we just kinda let them handle a lot of it,’ Kyle tells me via cell phone on his way to Modesto, Calif.

Like every other level of the music business it’s all about who you know.

’It actually fell into place pretty well,’ Wes says.

While most would be disgusted at the thought of an 18-hour drive in a cramped van, the five members of Alcina welcome it.

’So far, we’ve seen Mount Rushmore, driven through the Rocky Mountains and seen a stampede on one side of the road in Wyoming,’ Kyle says. ’(At one show) We played for 15 kids after we drove 18 hours. That’s not even a kid an hour. And it was probably the most fun show we’ve played.’

Part of the band’s message is to always maintain a positive attitude. All five members practice what they preach, and use that to try and be a positive influence on the kids who attend their shows.

’That’s what it’s all about,’ Wes tells me as they continue their campaign. ’We try to catch people’s ears with the heaviness of the music, but what we really want is for them to hear the words.’

With the stress of sharing cramped quarters and long drives, having a sense of humor is a prerequisite for anybody wishing to tour. Planning the next prank is a good way to make the day’s drive seem shorter.

’Jake [A Plea’s merch guy] got me pretty good,’ Kyle says. ’He was texting me acting like this girl we met from Colorado. I didn’t have his number so I didn’t know the difference.’

A few risqu’ messages and picture texts later and Kyle figured it out.

’I tried to get him back, but I was trying to get like four or five other guys with us back, too,’ continues Kyle. ’It all got too confusing and I just gave up.’

My personal favorite story began when somebody noticed a pair of 30-foot mic cables at a show in South Dakota and the double-dutch challenge began. Not just any game of double-dutch, this was strip double-dutch. The first player to successfully lose all of his clothes while jumping two cables was the winner.

’Wes won,’ Kyle chuckles. ’That kid’s got some sweet moves.’

Although touring does include a lot of fun and games, it also includes some frightening moments. Late one evening, the group fell victim to several pranksters in Little Rock, Ark.

’We’re just standing in the parking lot talking and we hear some girl scream and then this ’pat’ ’pat’ ’pat’ ’pat’ noise. We looked and the wall behind us was covered in paintballs,’ Wes explains.

What Wes originally thought to be a humorous prank eventually became a point of extreme frustration.

’One guy got hit right in the forehead, so he was kinda pissed,’ Wes says.

Before the paint even dried, the bands called the cops. A Plea for Purging and Alcina volunteered to aid in the search, but the shooters were never located.

In 1865, Horace Greeley said ’Go West, young man’ and inspired a generation. Little did he know a group of friends with one musical vision would also heed his advice 142 years later.

For the past month, Alcina has had the privilege of experiencing these great United States in a way few have the opportunity to do. And with a little bit of luck, they might just get to make a career out of doing it over and over again.

For more information on Alcina, click here.