The boys of Over It have been busy lately, to say the least. Since the March 2005 release of their last album, Silverstrand, the SoCal beach rockers (by way of Virginia) became the sleeper hit of last year and performed on the Vans Warped Tour twice, on top of extensive touring with the biggest up-and-coming bands of modern rock.

Of course, one might think that would earn them a breather, but an ensuing deal on Virgin Records deemed otherwise. Now guitarists Nick Bailey and Ryan Ogren, vocalist Pete Munters, drummer James Ulrich and bassist Seth Watts are already gearing up to tour with their follow-up album and major label debut, Step Outside Yourself.

“We really pushed the envelope for ourselves on this one,” says Bailey. “We got a little experimental and brought in a lot more influences. There's a lot more variety in what these songs are about,” he says, naming everything from thoughts on rap music and racism to musings brought on by the show “Lost.”

“We really wanted to touch on more topics than our crazy lives and our move out to California, which is what Silverstrand was about. Hopefully kids will pick up on it and not be too disappointed that we're not a fast punk rock band, even though we still are at heart,” says Bailey.

While fans of the band's intense and more unrestrained last album might be taken aback by its more polished and controlled current sound, the members of Over It are proud of their evolution as musicians and hope fans will continue to see their bigger picture.

“Lyrically, I tried to ask fewer questions and just say more of what's on my mind,” says Munters.

Bailey adds, “The main reason we titled the album Step Outside Yourself was because when we were working on these songs, there were a lot of things going on musically and personally where it was really important for us to step back and put our lives in perspective.”

Giving one big example, he tells, “During the recording process, my grandfather who I was really close to died and that definitely affected me.”

With “Your Song,” a track featured on the album, Bailey ultimately found the realization of those emotions and hoped to share it with his listeners. “It helped me look at the whole situation and appreciate the memories I have as opposed to just being really sad,” he says.

Bailey is certainly no stranger to emotionally investing himself in his music or knowing the effect it can have on others. “One of the main reasons I was so excited to be in a band and play music for people was because my best friend died when I was 15-years-old. When I think about the only thing that got me through that, it was listening to songs that just gave you that feeling in the bottom of your stomach,” he says. “Now it's our time to give back and have songs where people can get through tough times like that.”

Echoing this, Munters says, “Songwriting is my catharsis in life. It's how I purge all of the good things and the bad. It's how I live and how I think we've all come to make it, and by ‘make it' – I mean to survive.”

Just to be fair, their approach thus far has garnered them steadily growing popularity in recent months, though they don't plan on letting it go to their heads. “It's nice to have your name all over TV and radio, but at the same time, we hope that it can get there because people are genuinely excited about our songs, not just because it's the new, trendy thing to like Over It,” says Bailey.

So regardless of any “next big thing” branding, Over It will continue – proving their commitment to their integrity and remaining true to their roots surfing the beaches of California – and plan to be riding these waves of success for a long time to come.

Step Outside Yourself is currently available. Over It will perform Sept. 24 at Chain Reaction, in Anaheim and Sept. 27 at the Troubadour, in West Hollywood. For more information, visit www.overitonline.com .