Chris Whitehall of the Griswolds realised the harsh realities of non-stop touring after being abandoned by his band in Brooklyn at 1am.

"We had just finished a gig at Rough Trade and I carried out the last thing as we were packing up," he says. "I came back and the van was gone, they'd left me behind."

The band was in the midst of a three-month touring stint of the United States when Whitehall found himself wandering the streets lost at 1am.

"I've got no idea where we're staying or what to do," he says. "My shoes exploded off my feet as I'm walking through Brooklyn. I've got no shoes, no band and nowhere to sleep."

Luckily, Whitehall found some friends by chance in a bowling alley and was reunited with the band in the morning.

"It wasn't the first time it's happened and when you play 50 to 60 gigs in 3½ months, it becomes a game to try and remember which cities and venues we've played."

The Griswolds' mammoth tour came as a baptism of fire for the Sydney four piece.

They had only released two songs when US label Wind Up Records came knocking and this tour is first time they've played live with their current line-up.

"There was definitely a feeling of being out of our depth," he says. "They were throwing contracts at us and we just closed our eyes and jumped in."

The boys worked with famed indie producer Tony Hoffer in New York on their new album before hitting the road. The band had requested Hoff after admiring his efforts on Beck and Phoenix albums and had prepared themselves for a knock back.

"We thought there was no chance in hell he'd say yes but he did," he says. "This guy was a hero of ours, he's worked on our favourite albums, we were giddy when we met him."

Whitehall describes him as "freaky genius" who became almost a favourite member of the band.

"He pushed us, he kept us up to 4am every night rewriting songs and challenging us," he says.

Whitehall is excited about the band's upcoming show in Wollongong.

"Playing regional dates is some of the most fun we've had. People just love music there and throw themselves into the gig," he says.

The Griswolds will play at the sold-out Yours and Owls 4th Birthday Party festival on Saturday alongside Dune Rats, Sticky Fingers and Hockey Dad.