Rick DeJesus, the lead singer of the Las Vegas modern rock act Adelitas Way (named for a Tijuana brothel), spends little time rocking and an awful lot of time hard at work.

The band is riding high on the success of Invincible , the lead single off the band's self-titled debut album, released in July. Mr. DeJesus said playing the song represents only the smallest part of the band's job.

"There's so much that goes into this," he said in a recent telephone interview. "Playing music is less than 10 percent. There's 15-hour drives, radio spots, signings. Just getting along with each other on the road can be a job.

''If you don't love it, really love the music, your band will fall off quick. If you aren't willing to work 24 hours a day, you shouldn't do this."

For Mr. DeJesus the job entailed taking a very intellectual approach to producing music. He said he knew, going into the process, that he wanted to make a record that sounded as good live as it did in the studio and that spoke to people on a visceral level.

"I wanted to make sure that people could relate," he said. "I wanted them to believe that these songs were about them."

The success of Invincible , which has proved a sports arena favorite and was selected as the theme song for WWE Superstars , has given the band a calling card. It's a song, he said, that demonstrates everything he believes a great rock song should accomplish.

"We wanted it to be a song that empowered people," he said. "It's about battling against problems. That song went into the top 10 on rock radio this week. It's a very proud moment for us. A real accomplishment."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.