The cat is out of the bag. Rock and roll’s trade secrets have been revealed, surely opening a Pandora’s box and shattering dreams. “What we do isn’t rocket science,” said David Zollo, lead singer of High and Lonesome. “It’s a feel thing.”

A feel thing. That’s how the Iowa City group reaches out to its audience on its new CD, For Sale Or Rent.

“The sound has evolved a lot,” Zollo explained. “We were always a song band; we used to do more jamming. We were known for drinking and other abusive behavior, but this album is more subtle, more textured. We ve definitely matured.”

The change came about as a response to surgery performed on Zollo’s vocal chords. “It forced us to listen a little more and not just play,” he said.

Besides a noticeably different sound, Zollo’s under-the-knife experience brought about entrepreneurial opportunity as well. As a result of the guys looking for an outlet to get Lonesome music to the masses, Trailer Records was born.

“I find the music industry to be revolting on a lot of levels,” Zollo said. “It’s a frustrating business. After my voice went out on me, people who were interested in signing us stepped back.

“We needed an avenue to promote our music. And, this worked out great because we also have creative control.”

High and Lonesome was formed when vocalist Zollo met guitarist Ruari Fennessy and bassist Dustin Conner during the winter of 1992 in an Iowa City bar. They soon added guitarist Darren Mattews and after some experimenting, drummer Jim Viner to complete the current line up.

Two previous H&L records, Alackaday and livefromgabes, have sold more than 10,000 copies and attracted much attention to the band’s unpretentious mix of hillbilly, blues and rock. Livefromgabes, recorded live at Gabes Oasis in I.C., is described as “being in their element,” namely the stage.

“A studio setting and a live performance are two very different mediums,” Zollo said. “The written word can be shaped, but the spoken word has a rhythm all its own. It’s more immediate. We have a strong sense of communication with the audience.”

A solo effort by Zollo, though, had rumors flying as to the demise of the quintet. But, fear not, it was merely a chance for Zollo to experiment.

Bringing in mandolins and other alternative instruments, he was able to create a record, which is what he felt he needed to do. “It let me explore songs in a context that High and Lonesome wouldn’t have been interested in doing,” he said. “High and Lonesome was a pedal-to-the-metal rock and roll band.”

Wearing the hat of producer, Zollo and company have worked with such local talent as Greg Brown and producer Bo Ramsey and his band The Backsliders. According to Zollo, Iowa is a virtual cornucopia of music.

“There’s so much great talent in this state,” he said. “To be honest, being artists in Iowa is important to the band. It really is a small world; we can just as easily live here and travel to get our music heard.”

The band has had a schedule of constant touring around the Midwest, working its way as far west as San Francisco and as far east as Italy. Winning strong support from the Italian magazine Buscadero, the group has developed a considerable following overseas and has completed two tours of the country. Stateside, it has opened for such acts as Ian Moore, The Freddy Jones Band and the Jayhawks.

But it was home to Iowa the boys came to record the new album on its Trailer Records label. “This record is just more us: It’s the band coming through,” Zollo said. “It belongs to High and Lonesome.”