Due to a tragic cheese-cutter accident, only the top half of the Manvils will appear in Calgary this week.

“The pressure is on but I'm not feeling it,” says Mikey Manville, guitarist and singer for communicably trashy Vancouver-based rock trio The Manvils. “This is a really good place to be.”

Since the release of the band’s eponymous sophomore effort (Sandbag/Fontana North Distribution) last August, The Manvils has been growing in leaps and bounds. From tours with Bif Naked to engaging, raucous performances and stellar reviews, its blip on the “bands-to-catch-before-they-outgrow-miniscule-clubs” radar is getting larger by the day.

To that extent, Manville feels equal parts humble, prepped and anxious to deliver on his band’s ensuing Calgary date, a situation he wouldn't trade for anything. Having just been through hard times, which resulted in the departure of a member, he doesn't take The Manvils' fortune lightly, assuring that with new-found vigour, the band — completed by bassist Greg Buhr and drummer Jay Koenderman — is tighter than ever.

“Just when our last record was coming out, there were some serious issues that could have broken us up, but I had to be a coach and make the call,” he reveals. “Thankfully, the other guys were behind me and it's working out now. There's an energy we have that I just can't describe. We're a three-piece now, but it's actually how we've always wanted to sound: punkier, more attitude and in-your-face.”

Stronger and more explosive without the extra member? Manville seems crazy, but he says that's exactly what's going on. Not only has the internal atmosphere improved, giving the Manvils an edge, but with having to ramp up the intensity as a bare-bones affair, the members are pulling out shit they didn't even know they had in 'em.

“It's really weird. You'd think it would be so much stronger and louder with the other guitar in there, but we get way more compliments now,” he laughs. “I think it's our outlook. The attitude we have now is something we're really enjoying. That power-trio spank is awesome.”

“Common perception is to think you can't top a four-piece wall of sound — we're proving that wrong,” Manville continues. “All of a sudden, Mikey gets another stack and you've got that wall with three guys. We've got that extra confidence as well, which is a real bonus.”

At that, Manville concedes that despite five years of striving for attention, paying dues across the Great White North and struggling through lineup difficulties, only now do The Manvils really understand what they're all about. It's a sentiment that is reflected in the aforementioned attention the band creates wherever it goes.

“It takes a while to wrap your head around all the things that make your band work,” Manville says. “Some bands take eight years to figure it out, while others with lots of past experience do it in two. There's this cohesion that has to play out, from between your rhythm section to the tubes you use in your amplifier to the frontman or songwriter developing confidence. Well, we've finally found that sweet spot and it almost feels like a brand new band,” he laughs. “It's like a ripe apple with a solid core.”