When Quebec's Simple Plan [ tickets ] releases its self-titled album on Feb. 12, it'll mark a new beginning for the band.

"The title 'Simple Plan' means it's a totally fresh beginning and it shows where we're at right now," drummer/songwriter Chuck Comeau said during a recent interview with LiveDaily. "This is the record we've always wanted to make. I wouldn't change a note on it. It feels like it's a fresh start for the band. We just want to re-introduce ourselves."

Comeau said he's thrilled that the first single--the bouncy, guitar-driven "When I'm Gone"--has garnered an overwhelming response, including more than 1.2 million plays on its MySpace page as of Jan. 28. The video also has been posted on YouTube.

"We're stoked," Comeau said. "It took a long time to make this album. So, definitely, it's a big relief, first of all, to be done, and it's exciting to have people hear the songs. They've only heard one song so far and the reaction's been amazing. We're totally stoked to have them hear the whole record."

The Simple Plan facelift took a substantial amount of time, compared to other albums. "Simple Plan" took 14 months of writing and three months of recording.

"I think it was way worth it. It was a good call to sort of throw away [all the deadlines] and just kind of focus on making the best record, and make something that's different and fresh and push ourselves to try something different.

"We took a lot of chances. I think that was the whole point: to give ourselves the time and also the freedom to try new things, to try to shake things up, to try not to do the same record over and over again. We wanted to try to come up with something that was going to be fresh for us, that would sound like a new version of ourselves. What was tricky was to do something that feels like it's us.... So we wrote tons of ideas and songs. We definitely threw away a lot. In the end, we feel this is the best work we've ever done."

The album is Simple Plan's fourth overall, following 2002's double-platinum debut, "No Pads, No Helmets ... Just Balls," 2004's platinum-certified follow-up "Still Not Getting Any" and 2005's "MTV Hard Rock Live."

The new Simple Plan album sees the quintet teaming with unique lineup of production talent, including Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Mudvayne), Danjahands (T.I., Justin Timberlake) and Max Martin (James Blunt, Avril Lavigne).

"Dave Fortman made the band sound amazing. He definitely knows how to capture the voice of [frontman Pierre Bouvier]," Comeau said. "That was the big goal of this record: to have him push himself vocally and to sound more confident. I think [Fortman] was really good at doing that with him. He was also a great sounding board for ideas.

"We got to work with the most talented people--but, at the same time, we were in awe of them. Everyone who was involved on the record felt very passionate about the songs, and the project and the idea and the concept. It was really cool."

Simple Plan--which also includes Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), David Desrosiers (bass, backing vocals) and Sebastien Lefebvre (guitar, backing vocals)-- will begin touring properly "super early in the year." The real tour will start in the spring.

"We're primarily a live band. That's what we love to do. It's definitely been awhile. We played our first show in a year last week and it was like, 'Damn, that feels good.'"

The will warm up for an early spring European jaunt with a pair of late-February shows in New York City and Philadelphia.