38th Parallel has been absent from the Ames scene for nearly two-and-a-half years, but since then, their success has grown nationwide.

Much of the rest of the country seems to be taking notice of this Ames-native fivesome. They have had two No. 1 hit singles and one single that went to No. 2 on Christian rock radio stations from their first album, “Turn the Tides.”

Since the band was signed by Warner Bros. subsidiary Squint Entertainment, they have been hitting the road hard, performing at multiple venues a week all across the country.

Vocalist Mark Jennings says being on the road is a constant cycle. It is common to play a show and wake up in a different hotel room every night, trying to recall what state they are in.

Jennings says life on the road is extreme.

“When things are bad they are really bad — when things are good they are really good,” he says. “It’s life to the Nth degree on the road.”

The band says they’ve invested a great deal of hard work in writing, practicing and driving around the country to perform. However, they have had a little extra time to pursue some activities, including sightseeing, hiking, cliff diving and camping throughout their journeys on the road.

38th Parallel says it is happy to be playing in Ames again this weekend at the Maintenance Shop after their long absence. The members say they would love to play in Ames more often, but no one books them and there are few locations large enough for them to play in.

The band members seem to agree that things are pretty laid back right now, in comparison to their touring schedule. They are practicing a couple of hours a day, performing about once a week and composing new lyrics for their second album which they are planning to record this fall.

The band says the tentative release date for their new album is spring 2004.

In June, the band added a new member, Jason Munday, a local guitarist.

“I went from playing for 100 people to playing for 6,000 people in a matter of about 10 days,” Munday says.

He says the transition has been enjoyable and feels he is meshing well with the other band members. Munday says his goal is for 38th Parallel to become a household name.

Jeff Barton, bassist, calls the band’s current sound a groove-based guitar rock, or in other words, a rap, rock and alternative mix.

Jennings says their fans can expect the band’s new album to be a more evolved, darker rock.

Jennings says he is driven by the hope to invest something in people’s lives. If he didn’t believe 38th Parallel’s music delivered a divine message or spiritual enrichment into people’s lives he says he would simply go out and get a job.

“It is the perspective of eternity that keeps us going,” Jennings says. Barton says many bands like theirs do not end up having a very long life span.

“We want to give [the audience] something that is going to last,” he says.

Members of 38th Parallel have been investing most of their earnings back into the band. To them it is the message that matters, not the money.

Aaron Nordyke, drummer, says they do it because it feels rewarding to share a positive Christian message.

“It seems silly that someone pays us for this one-hour show,” he says.