It’s usually challenging to have any sort of sympathy for touring bands. "What could be cooler than traveling, playing music night after night?" we wonder, as we shuffle into a corporate drone cube or attempt to summon up any sense of giving a shit about the customer on the other side of our service industry counter.

Still, when controller.controller guitarist Scott Kaija answers his cell phone several time zones away, sounding exhausted and sniffling and hoarse from a nasty virus and juggling fast food, it’s impossible to stifle a maternal coo.

Arguably one of the hardest working bands in Canada of late, C.C have spent the past couple years almost perpetually on the road, starting out as openers for the likes of Death From Above 1979 and graduating to headliner status after last year’s release of their long anticipated full-length, X-Amounts.

A darkly sexy, serpentine, riff-based dance album, X-Amounts showcases what C.C does best, which is to engage both the mind and the feet–menacing bass, razor-sharp dual attack guitars, and relentless beats support vocalist Nirmala Basnayake’s acrobatically-delivered, sly, teasing lyrics. It’s a high-energy, highly engaging brew, and the gang rips into their set like their lives depend on it every time they play. That level of dedication has helped propel them into the top slot on the poster.

"Touring for [our debut EP] History, we were always playing with someone else–DFA, The Organ..." recounts Kaija. "It’s hard to gauge the reaction when you are a support act. What kind of audience do you have? Now we’ve done two of our own tours, and know people come out to see us in particular. That’s a totally different feeling."

Kaija contends that the ritual of playing nightly for months on end has strengthened the group. "Touring makes you a better band. You know your sound better, you have confidence in playing, and you understand your role and where you fit. When we started, we were, for lack of a better term, more ‘balls out’ all the time. Now we’re more aware and create more dynamics throughout the set."

Although the next few months are booked solid, he adds that they are looking forward to the next cycle of recording. "After getting so much experience on the road, we’re curious to see what that will translate to in the studio. We have all these ideas floating around–nothing concrete, so anything’s possible. It’s exciting to think about what we could do next."