ALKALINE TRIO The group hopes to make up for lost time with its extensive tour.

Matt Skiba is a pretty prolific dude. He's constantly writing, recording and touring. If he's not making music with Alkaline Trio, he's working on material with his side projects Heavens and Jerkwater.

So why has it been three years since a new studio release from the dark pop-punk band Alkaline Trio? Skiba and his Alkaline bandmates - bassist Dan Andriano and drummer Derek Grant - weren't on hiatus. They were dealing with circumstances beyond their control. After finishing off a tour behind its last album, Crimson, the band left longtime label Vagrant Records for V2. However, Alkaline Trio's new home folded shortly after the band inked its deal.

"So we had some time in limbo," Skiba says while calling from a Jacksonville, Florida tour stop. "It's the longest I've taken off from touring. It worked out in one way. Danny [Andriano] had a child. We needed the break. It was about time we had one. We had more time to write."

Alkaline Trio took its time penning tracks for its new album, Agony and Irony. The new cuts deal with some heavy, dark issues. Surprisingly, there's also some optimism in the new tracks.

"There's some hope in these songs," Skiba says. "There is darkness, but I think the good thing is that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe it has something to do with what's going on with America. Maybe after all of these years of darkness, we're at that point at which we're going to get out of the dark. Maybe this election is going to take us there after all we dealt with over the years with this heartbreaking administration. It's about time for a change and maybe there is some change in our songs."

One of the changes Alkaline Trio has made is where it's playing in some markets. The group has previewed some tunes at shopping malls in order to reach a fresh group of fans.

"What we've found is that it's not sterile doing mall parking lots," Skiba says. "It's actually been great getting out there performing to a lot of new faces. A lot of the faces have been younger and that's been such a cool thing. We're trying to get the word out and preach beyond the converted. It's worked out better than we ever imagined."

Agony and Irony is full of catchy, clever pop-rock tunes that should expand the band's base. Producer Josh Abraham (Velvet Revolver, Linkin Park) turned the album into an elaborate-sounding effort. However, the production doesn't overshadow the band's songcraft.

"This came out just the way we wanted it to," Skiba says. "There's nothing I would want to change."

That includes Alkaline Trio's jump to Epic Records for Agony and Irony, behind which the rejuvenated band will tour for some time.

"I would love to be out [on tour] for quite awhile," Skiba says. "It's been too long for this band and we would like to make up for lost time. I don't have any regrets about being away from the road. It worked out for our album but now we're just going to have fun from town to town."

Alkaline Trio, American Steel, The Fashion: 7 p.m. Thursday, July 10 at House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave., 216.241.5555. Tickets: $17.50 advance, $20 day of show.