The Whigs have had quite an exciting year so far. The Athens-based garage rock trio has skyrocketed from local to national stature courtesy of new album “Mission Control” and a relentless touring schedule.

Released in January, “Mission Control” garnered positive reception from distinguished publications such as Pitchfork Media, PopMatters, Billboard and Spin Magazine.

The album’s success landed The Whigs coveted slots on “Late Show with David Letterman” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” attracted the attention of several prominent music festivals including Lollapalooza and even took them overseas for a concert in Japan.

And they show no signs of stopping: tonight’s concert at the 40 Watt Club is the second stop of a lengthy tour with popular indie-rockers Tokyo Police Club.

“We haven’t really had any free time since the record came out in January,” said bassist Tim Deaux. “Because we’re playing shows night after night, our rise in popularity doesn’t seem as drastic to us, but at the same time we’ve all noticed that the crowds have been getting larger.” Drummer Julian Dorio said that although the touring has been hard work, the pay-offs are evident.

“The opportunities have been more than we would have ever imagined, and we hope that things keep going in the same direction they have been.”

Luckily for Dorio, the future is looking ever brighter for the Classic City natives, who also will be touring with high-profile acts The Kooks and Kings of Leon later this fall.

Considering just one year ago The Whigs were struggling through some trying circumstances, they have come an impressively long way in a short period of time.

Original bassist Hank Sullivant abruptly left the fold to focus on his solo project Kuroma, leaving Dorio and singer-guitarist Parker Gispert scrambling to fill the void. The group, however, insists the split was amicable.

“Something like that is obviously a big shift on a trio, but at the same time we wished him the best,” Dorio said. “We wanted him to be happy and do whatever it was that inspired.” Deaux joined as Sullivant’s permanent replacement shortly thereafter, laying any fears of an uncertain future to rest.

Although Deaux joined too late to feature on “Mission Control,” he has quickly mastered the songs as though they were his own through The Whigs’ nonstop live performances.

“We were already friends long before there was even the slightest idea of me joining the band, but maybe that was something that attracted me to it – we already knew each other and knew we’d get along,” Deaux said.

He and Dorio also mentioned the members’ mutual appreciation of the dynamic of a three-person band.

“As a trio, it really takes all of us carrying as much weight as possible to fill the space and make the songs as interesting as we can,” Dorio said. “There’s a lot of responsibility on each guy and we like that sort of challenge.”

Even though “Mission Control” saw The Whigs working in a Los Angeles studio with Rob Schnapf (of Beck and Guided by Voices fame), they decided to veer from the usual route of overproduction in favor of a stripped-down, minimalist approach.

“Our first album (“Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip’”), being done in an empty fraternity house in Athens with limited resources, came out a little tamer than a typical show,” Dorio said. “That was okay with us, but the idea this time around was to make the album a little more indicative of us as a live band.”

Dorio also said “Mission Control” had more of a rock record foundation where the band to expand.

Thematically, Dorio and Gispert drew on the group’s aforementioned troubles for inspiration.

“For us, it’s about that intersection as a group – not really knowing what lies ahead after (Sullivant) quit,” Dorio said. “So we thought the name was appropriate for the album – something we’d worked hard on and persevered through.”

Now, eight full months after the debut of “Mission Control,” The Whigs are still full of energy and enthusiasm when they perform it live. Fans should expect no less at their hometown show tonight.

“One show is never more important than the next,” Deaux said. “So we try to approach each show as if it’s the most important show we’re ever gonna play, and hopefully that comes across.”