The pressures of rock and roll are getting to Steve Brown. Calling from “the studio” (two hours late) where he and his bandmates are wrapping up a “photo shoot,” time is clearly not on his side.

“Sorry, I’m late,” he said. “But the shoot ran over, and we’re at the studio …”

Luckily, Brown, lead singer for the Minneapolis-based Johnny Clueless, is in a business where if you’re late, it’s a good sign. It means you’re in high demand.

And Johnny Clueless is late. Finishing the final touches on their next CD, Too Late, Too Loud, the anticipation is almost more than Brown can bear. “It’s like being pregnant,” Brown said. “You just can’t wait to get it out.”

The latest Clueless effort is pronouncedly different, due in most part to the help of a “real producer.” Employing the expertise of former Prince and the Revolution drummer, Bobby Z., the new disc spotlights a more cohesive Cluelessness.

“He was like a coach,” Brown said of Z. “He’s got great focus. He streamlined our concepts a little better, without losing any guts.”

That means it’s still got the pop-rock you can dance to and the alternative edge that keeps the pace going. “It’s definitely danceable,” Brown said of the new sound. “It’s a new original, but it’s not super hard either.”

But you won’t find the members of Johnny Clueless with stars in their eyes. “You can’t really get star-struck,” Brown explained of their work with notables. “They are your colleagues, so you can’t act like that.”

Yashon added that having a lady in the group does bring out the best in them, though. Bassist Stacy Machula’s womb seems to have a profound effect on the remaining three members: drummer Eric Guse, guitarist Scott Miller and Yashon.

“It makes us more civilized,” he said. “We’re not the pigs we would be if she weren’t in the band. Not that we’re that bad or anything, but we would be worse.”

In fact they could be a lot worse. Presently, Johnny Clueless’ latest release in stores, Secrets of the Universe, is racking up rave reviews. But they still have grand plans.