Las Vegas hard rockers Adelitas Way know how to make a rock hit. Just look at the band’s lengthy list of chart-topping songs, from ‘Sick’ to ‘The Collapse’ to ‘Invincible.’ The band is set to play the 2012 Avalanche Tour, which kicks off this Tuesday (March 27) in Anaheim, Calif., and singer Rick DeJesus says playing the tour alongside Shinedown, New Medicine and Art of Dying is a sign that the band is coming full circle.

DeJesus says that while Adelitas Way’s rise to the top may look quick and easy from the outside, it involved years and years of gutting hard work. “I probably gave out 10,000 demos,” DeJesus told USA Today. Recalling how passerbys received them, he said, “I used to sit in my house all day and burn discs, hand them to anybody who walked by me. Some people would throw them in the trash, and other people would use them as coasters, but I worked really hard to get Las Vegas to pay attention.”

The guys still remember those tough early days, and it helps remind them of how grateful they are for their loyal fans. At the Avalanche Tour, expect to see Adelitas Way signing autographs and taking photos until the wee hours of the morning. “I’d hate for someone to drive four hours to come and watch a show and not be able to meet us or get something signed,” guitarist Keith Wallen said. “There have been a few times where security has been like, ‘everybody get out of here.’ At that point, we’re like, ‘OK, the show’s over.’”

Read the full interview via USA Today.

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