"Positive energy" is the key phrase behind "Shudder," the forthcoming album by New York rockers Bayside [ tickets ], according to bassist Nick Ghanbarian.

"Our message was evident on our last album, too, but I think it's just trying to remain positive and create an answer for everything in life," Ghanbarian said. "There's always going to be bad things and you have to get through them and become a better person through them. Music is a part of that. The four of us have focused on that. I think we're all proud of who we are. We want that for our listeners and our fans. We want them to take what we've learned through life and be good people."

"Shudder," produced by David Schiffman (Weezer, Jimmy Eat World) and set for release Sept. 30, was written on the road, during Bayside's multiple tours last year. Lead singer/rhythm guitarist Anthony Raneri began the songwriting process during the Victory Records tour in November/December.

"We started fooling around with songs during soundcheck," Ghanbarian said. "After that, we toured with Straylight Run and we were still writing on the bus. It was the first time we used a laptop and computer tools to put songs together."

The band--which also includes drummer Chris Guglielmo and guitarist Jack O'Shea--talked out the songs to decide what kind of "vibes" were needed.

"We mapped everything out before we all got together," Ghanbarian said. "There was so much preparation and mapping out of what the songs were going to sound like, and what the parts were going to sound like that it was a simple process. It was good for us, mentally, to not have to sit in a practice space for eight hours a day. I think it shows in the songs. No matter what the message may be, I think there's positive energy behind all the songs."

That feeling will be reflected live, he said, when the band heads out on its "Involuntary Movement Tour" with The Matches, Valencia and The Status, which kicks off Oct. 7.

"Playing live is my favorite part about being in a band," Ghanbarian said. "This is the first time we'll get to play some of these new songs live. This is the best album for live songs, I think. Almost every song can be played live. It hasn't really been the case with other albums. I'm interested to see what people think of the songs and what songs are their favorites. I certainly have my favorites."