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Last year was a busy one for the guys in Open Air Stereo: they scored prime-time coverage with an MTV series, landed a major label deal, began recording their debut album with acclaimed producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith) and performed for millions on TRL.

Not bad for a bunch of teens from Orange County, CA.

Even more impressive is the fact that the band (lead singer Chase Johnson, guitarist Kelan Hurley, bassist Braeden Hurley and drummer Nick Gross) is recording the album while juggling classes (Chase, Braeden are high school seniors and Kelan and Nick are in their freshman year at college).

Chase says the band has already recorded more than half of the 13 songs they’re planning for the album, which is due in mid-2007. The singer says that working with Rock is both an honor and a chance to learn from a legend. “It’s such a surreal experience to have him working on our album knowing he’s produced some of our favorite records. We’re like sponges trying to soak up every second with him.”

“One day after we were done recording he came up to me and said, ‘You sounded great in there,’ and I almost dropped my guitar,” laughs Kelan. “This guy’s worked with some of the best and here he is giving me props. It was one of the biggest thrills of my life.”

As Chase tells it, the band’s coming of age took place one night last May, when he and his bandmates tore up famed L.A. nightclub, The Roxy.

“Unfortunately, there weren’t many people there to witness the triumphant debut of our big rock show,” he laughs. “Like us, most of our fans are young and couldn’t get into the club. Plus it was a Tuesday (read: school) night and we didn’t hit the stage until around 11:30, so the place was pretty much empty. But we still played like we were in front of a packed house crowd.”

They’ve channeled the electrifying energy of their live show into the new album. The disc’s expansive rock sound showcases the band’s perfect pop instincts and draws from various influences while retaining a singular sound that’s theirs and theirs alone.

“My dad loves music and he made sure my brother and I grew up appreciating everything from The Doors to Ravi Shankar,” says Braeden. “Part of the reason the four of us get along so well is because we’re all music fans and open-minded to different sounds and styles. When one of us comes across a song or an album that excites us, we can’t wait to bring it in to practice and share it.”

With the band writing new songs all the time, Nick says the album continues to evolve. “It’s an exciting time because things are changing so fast. Someone will come into practice with part of a song, we’ll work on it and pretty soon we’ve got another two or three songs out of it.”

Performing at MTV studios last fall, the band debuted a pair of tracks from the upcoming album including “Grace,” written about Chase’s girlfriend. “She leaves for college about the same time we’ll be going on tour,” he says. “I sing ‘say that you’ll stay,’ because I know we’ll soon be living in different worlds, but I want things to stay the same between us.”

Another standout track is “How It Feels To Be Me, “ a crisply written response to fair-weather fans. “Before we were signed, it felt like everyone was behind us,” says Chase. “It’s sad, but as soon as we started having some success, a few of those same people started trying to tear us down. It’s been a sad lesson to learn, but we found out pretty quickly who are real friends are.”

With “Freaks,” the band turns its attention from snarky haters to one of life’s great mysteries. “It’s about women,” laughs Kelan. “Everyone in the band has a story; one day you’re dating the sweetest girl in the world and then all of a sudden your life is non-stop drama. This song is for all those crazy women and the even crazier men who love them.”

While the album mostly features recently penned tracks, Chase says “The Leave” traces its roots back to the early days when the band kept changing the band name for every show. “We could never decide what to call ourselves so we kept trying out new names,” he explains. “After we got stuck calling ourselves Stulpigeon, we agreed to get serious about a real name.” As for Open Air Stereo, Kelan says, “it represents the big sound we’re going for when we play.”

The band came together during junior high in 2001 and spent the next few years playing every party and hole-in-the-wall that would have them. In 2005, they released a self-titled EP that earned them a nomination for Best Rock Group at the Orange County Music Awards and they landed the opening slot on the KROQ Weenie Roast. Shortly after the disc’s release, the quartet’s path took an unexpected detour when Chase and Kelan joined the third-season cast of the hit MTV series Laguna Beach.

While most bands would eat their young for prime-time coverage on MTV, Chase says the band was hesitant about being on the show. “Obviously it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but we weren’t sure if it was right for us,” he explains. “Ultimately, we agreed that the exposure was a great way to get our music heard.”

“It opened a lot of doors for us,” says Kelan. “The challenge for us now is to prove that we belong here.”

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