High-rated teen primetime dramas such as “The O.C.” and “One Tree Hill” have been drastically changing the landscape of popular music.

After being scripted as one of O.C. character Seth Cohen’s favorite bands, the previously indie Death Cab For Cutie immediately multiplied its fan base and signed to a major label, attributing sudden success largely to the TV appearance.

Death Cab For Cutie is not the only band that has seen a bolster in success from television appearances. The Living Blue, hailing from Champaign, Ill., has recently had three of its songs used on the WB’s “One Tree Hill,” and frontman Steve Ucherek said the national exposure has given the band a boost in the direction of success.

“Last year we played about 150 shows, and I think we might do more than that this year the way it’s shaping up,” Ucherek said. “We’re a rock ‘n’ roll band so the best way to further ourselves is to play shows, because that’s where it happens.”

Ucherek said his band has recently played with the likes of The Raveonettes, New York Dolls and The Strokes, and they will be coming to Ames on Tuesday to play at The Practice Space, 138 Main St., a venue owned by friends of the band.

Having dedicated the latter part of their young lives to the band, Ucherek said the band members are far from being monetarily successful, but their biggest reward has been the rave reviews their recent album has received.

“I don’t think [success] has had an effect on our songwriting. We wrote [our album] ‘Living In Blue’ before we were recognized for anything. We did it on our own, so the positive reviews were reassuring,” Ucherek said.

“Living In Blue,” released in 2004, was recorded under the band name The Blackouts. The band recently changed its name to The Living Blue.

Ucherek said the band has one simple aspiration.

“We want to be the biggest band in the world,” he said.

“But we’re gonna do it our way.”

Guitarist Joe Prokop said the band members have had a rough road, borrowing money and spending the better part of eight years pouring their lives into the band.

“It’s our life,” he said. “In a way we gave our lives to the band because we put so many years into it.

“If we were to stop now, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

For the band, the road to success isn’t all fun and games. Ucherek said life on the road has been full of snags.

“We had all of our guitars stolen a couple years back. We’ve had our van broken into and burned. We’ve been towed and gotten $150 tickets in New York City,” he said. “Sometimes you can just be like, ‘Jeez, it’s not like we’re rolling in the freaking dough.’

“We’re spending a lot of money that we’ve got to pay back, but we’ve put our trust in what we do.”

Prokop said the band prides itself in its live show.

“The shows on this tour have been phenomenal. There’s plenty of energy and sweat and rock ‘n’ roll,” he said.

“We’ve never been to Ames, but our friends tell us it’s a sweet town. We look forward to performing for the people of Ames.”