In 2008, the music video “12 Days of Christmas” was put online by one of the original members of the performing group Straight No Chaser. Since that moment, Straight No Chaser has signed a record deal with Atlantic Records and have been touring ever since. 

Tyler Trepp, who had been involved with the collegiate Straight No Chaser at Indiana University, received a call from the original members of the group to try out for one of the four open spots of the 10-member group.

The current touring a cappella group, composed of six original members and 4 nonoriginal members, tours just about every year.

The collegiate group still exists at Indiana University under the name Another Round.

Straight No Chaser tours during the fall up until January and occasionally tours in the spring. The “normal” performance schedule includes performances on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, with Monday and Tuesdays off.  

The group has also been on the “Today” show and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

“For me personally I always love coming back and performing in Iowa because I’m from there,” said Trepp, an Urbandale native. “So anytime we get a chance to tour in Ames or Des Moines we have a lot of family that comes to the shows; so that’s always fun for me.”

The band mainly does covers of songs, but has a few original songs in the works right now.

Three or four people help arrange the songs and collaborate ideas. Usually Trepp plays through the song on the piano and the group helps to work out the parts from there.

When the demo is finished it is presented to the group and further adjustments are made. If the song works well with the group then the members who arranged it teach it to the rest of the group.

“We’re mostly a cover band so we try and keep songs in the show that everyone can enjoy,” Trepp said. “There’s going to be something in our show that you can find that you’ll like.”

A week before each performance Straight No Chaser practices and fixes any minor problems. The night of the performance the group also does a sound check in the middle of the afternoon.

Before each show the band sings a few notes to tune one last time and finishes preparing for the show with a word of prayer.

The band hopes to continue touring for a long time to come.

“I know that all the guys in the group enjoy what we’re doing and are very appreciative that we can do this for a living,” Trepp said. “So hopefully we can keep doing it for a long time. It’s fun and we’re getting paid to do what we love.”

Straight No Chaser performs at Stephan’s Auditorium tonight at 7:30 p.m.