Tokyo Police Club’s latest album was released seven months ago, but that isn’t stopping the Canadian indie-pop band from starting on another tour, one that will stop through Columbus this weekend.  

After the release of the band’s sophomore album “Champ” in June 2010, the guys toured relentlessly in support of the record through December. The group then took a small break afterwards.

“We had a month off,” said Graham Wright, keyboardist for the band. “It was the longest time we’ve had off in a while.”

Though the break might have been well deserved, the band is happy to be back on the road.

“It felt great to be back on stage,” Wright said of their first concert of this tour. “Like we were let loose after a month off.”

The band originally formed while the members were still in school.

“We were friends in school and all sort of interested in music,” Wright said. “And who doesn’t want to be in a band? Eventually we ended up deciding to do it full time.”

The bandmates pushed to become a full-time band after landing their first record deal, Wright said.

“We talked to Paper Bag Records and they wanted to work with us, and that was all we need to quit school and work and go all in,” he said.

Once the band decided to go “all in” it released its first EP, “A Lesson in Crime,” with Paper Bag Records in 2006. The band later released another EP, “Smith,” in 2007 on the same label.

Even though “Smith” is one of the band’s older and lesser-known records, some of the tracks off it are a hit with Brian Whitlinger, a third-year in art.

“Their song ‘Be Good’ is one of my favorite songs,” Whitlinger said.

In 2008, the band signed with Saddle Creek Records and released its first full-length album, “Elephant Shell.”

While the guys were still mixing the tracks to “Elephant Shell,” they worked on new material for their next album.

“The earliest song was written before first album was finished being mixed,” Wright said.

After releasing and touring for its freshman album, the band decided to move to a new label, Mom + Pop Records, to release its next record.

The choice to switch record labels was based on the ever-changing music business, Wright said.

“In music things are changing so much and people are scrambling to figure out what the new model will be,” he said. “Mom + Pop had an interesting and unique model that was ideally the best of both worlds between an indie and major label. It’s not being run by accountants, but there are more resources than indie labels.”

The product of that switch and a year’s worth of work was the band’s most recent record, “Champ.”

Aside from a label switch, the biggest difference between the band’s first and second albums is the process by which they were created, Wright said.

“We gave ourselves a lot more time and space to work on (‘Champ’),” he said. “I think it’s a lot more natural and the process was more laid back.”

The most difficult part of the process with “Champ” might have been coming up with a name for the new album.

“We flipped through dictionaries and picked words at random,” Wright said. “We were kind of desperate.”

Even though the band released its last album seven months ago, there aren’t any plans in motion yet for the next record. Wright said the group is always writing new songs, however.

 

“We jammed and started playing a new song the other day,” Wright said, “but it’s too early to really think about the next album.”

Even though the band might not be recording another album just yet, they are having a good time being back on tour and coming to Columbus.

“We played in Columbus a while ago and it was bonkers, so I’m definitely excited to come back,” Wright said.

Whitlinger said he was “pumped” for Tokyo Police Club to return to Columbus this weekend.

The band will be playing Sunday at the Newport Music Hall with co-headliner Two Door Cinema Club. Doors for the show open at 6 p.m.