When Hinder started work on its major label debut, Extreme Behavior, drummer Cody Hanson says he and his songwriting partner, singer Austin Winkler, had anything but a clear idea of the music they were trying to make.

That much became clear shortly after the band began working with producer Brian Howes at the Armoury Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“He was … explaining a few things … about songwriting and about producing, and we were just kind of like ‘Wow.’ It just kind of hit us,” Hanson says. “The stuff we had was heavy, and I don’t know, we really didn’t know what was going on. It didn’t make sense, and so we just decided to scrap all that.”

Hanson and Winkler learned a lot from that failed first batch of songs. Extreme Behavior has sold more than 2 million copies — the product of the success of “Lips of An Angel.” That single went top five in several rock radio formats and has now climbed to No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart. Two other songs, “How Long” and “Get Stoned,” have been top 10 mainstream rock hits.

Extreme Behavior has a few other ballads in the mold of “Lips Of An Angel,” including “By The Way” and “Better Than Me,” but it’s mainly defined by sturdy and melodic rockers like “How Long,” “Get Stoned” and “Room 21.”  

The songs are fitting for a band that has made no secret of its ability — and eagerness — to live the rock ’n’ roll life, complete with frequent partying, copious consumption of alcohol and a fondness for getting familiar in certain ways with female fans.

That fun extends to the live show by the band, which formed in Oklahoma City in 2001 and includes Hanson, Winkler, guitarists Joe “Blower” Garvey and Mark King and bassist Mike Rodden.

“It’s like a big party for us,” Hanson says. “We want everybody out in the crowd to have a good time and feel like they’re out there partying, just like we are.”