Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless believe that if you’re in it, you’re in it to win it.

The couple and core behind Montreal dream-rock outfit Young Galaxy had to summon up more sand recording Invisible Republic (which they’ll showcase at the Drake Hotel Sept. 10), than they did when they cut their self-titled debut in 2007. Adding new permanent members Stephen Kamp and Max Henry, Young Galaxy charted new courses.

Proof of that is in the sound: Whereas the ’07 release suggests the group was finding its feet, with layered, apocalyptic ballads, Invisible Republic grabs the listener by the scruff of the neck. Recorded in Montreal, and mixed in Glasgow, Scotland by Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Wintersleep, Belle and Sebastian) the disc features aggressive, driving jams fronted by McCandless, whose stellar vocals have come into their own.

“For us, it’s about growth and the intention to have it stand on its own,” says Ramsay. “We wanted to create something visceral. On the first, there were a lot of atmospherics and layers that were hard to translate into the live show, so we kept that imagined audience response in mind when we made it. We knew it had to have more urgency.”

Braver still, Young Galaxy turned down the backing of Arts&Crafts, having more ambition for the disc than the indie label was prepared to support financially, a position that was based on sales of the first release.

Without A&C, Ramsay and McCandless had to do it themselves, putting up approximately $40,000 of their own money – cash that the couple earmarked for home ownership – to cut Invisible Republic. They did have some help, netting a $35,000 loan from the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR), along with a $50,000 marketing grant.

“How can you argue their position when it’s dollars and cents? They have their interests to protect, and so do we. We’re still great friends,” Ramsay said. “It would have been easy to retreat and we had a lot of doubts, but what’s the point of having a house if we can’t do what we love to do? The music business is in this state of upheaval, and you need to take risks if you’re going to have any staying power. And if you’re half-decent, you’ll come forward.”

“Without giving too much away,” Ramsay says studio time is booked in December for a third disc, this one being an electronic foray. But when you’ve put up your downpayment to cut a disc, taking yet another risk with your sound is relatively tame.

“Why use a stick when you can use Play-Doh?” he laughs. “We can go any way we want. It’s musically exciting for us.”