Good times on the road can generate a lot of good stories. On the flip side, bad times on the road can also generate a good story. Brandon Aikin, guitarist for Carrier, says he is glad his band doesn’t have many stories at all.

“I think we have been pretty lucky to not have any good stories,” Aikin says. “Sometimes the good stories aren’t so convenient at the time.”

Compared to other bands, Aikin feels Carrier manages to avoid the misfortunes which lead to those good road stories.

“We haven’t had van problems,” he says. “But we did get our trailer broken into.”

Aikin says the thieves left the trailer full of equipment virtually untouched, except for a backpack owned by lead singer Marc Benning.

“It was mysterious,” Aikin says. “He had lots of stuff in the backpack, lots of money.”

Except for that incident, Aikin says, Carrier has been blessed with meeting a plethora of cool people.

“We’ve been really lucky with the people we have met and the bands we have played with,” he says.

Aikin says Carrier began as just a duet with him and Benning, with former drummer Jim MacPhereson pre-recording parts for songs.

“For a while, we were doing a thing that was just me and Marc,” Aikin says.

“We had Jim record his parts and we put it on a soundtrack for a movie made by Marc.”

During the early touring, the group would put a projector screen up and play Benning’s film behind the band during their performances.

“We did that until last spring,” Aikin says. “The first show with a full band was in April, since April we dropped the movies.”

No matter what happens to the band on the road, one thing for sure doesn’t — writing. Aikin says he much prefers writing at his home in Lawrence, Kan.

“Marc’s been around town here more recently, so we are going to start writing around here,” he says.

Because of this, Aikin says he is more proud of the songs he writes and really doesn’t mind the age-old band question — “what do you sound like?”

“I don’t mind most of the comparisons,” he says. “Most of the time, if people mention bands that we sound like, it is usually stuff that we like.”

One thing Aikin does not like is the general condition of mainstream music that is played in America.

“I have never liked American mainstream music ever, except R.E.M.,” he says.

“I just don’t think it’s good, and I don’t like what people like. I think there are certain bands that labels have for credibility; other bands are people that are that are trying to get famous.”

Aikin says he doesn’t feel the success of a band can be measured through fame or fortune.

“I don’t give a shit about being famous or making money,” he says. “Of course, the goal of music is to reach other people. I am happy because we made a record that we like. I have come to judge success by how good of a record we can make.”

Who: Carrier with Keepers of the Carpet

Where: M-Shop

When: 9 p.m. Friday

Cost: $5 student,$6 public