Muen Magazine

I AM SITTING HERE AT THE GRAFTON HOTEL IN HOLLYWOOD, CA WITH JARED WEEKS THE VOCALIST OF SAVING ABEL.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  HI JARED THANKS FOR TALKING WITH ME TODAY. HOW ARE THINGS GOING?

Jared: I’m doing just fine. Can you pronounce, you’re listening to what again?

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  YOU ARE LISTENING TO MUEN TALK.

Jared: I thought you were German for a second.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  I’M A LITTLE BIT GERMAN.

Jared: So what’s up? We are at The Grafton pool side, no actually we are inside because I was told the pool was too loud to record by.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  IT’S COOL IN HERE BECAUSE THE AIR IS ON. DOES THIS CHAIR MOVE? I GUESS NOT.

Jared: It moves easier than the bed.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  WHAT BRINGS YOU TO HOLLYWOOD TODAY? YOU DON’T HAVE A SHOW.

Jared: We filmed the video for our first single “Stupid Girl (Only in Hollywood)” last night.  We thought what better city to record it in than Hollywood, so were here. We did it on top of the EMI building with the Capitol Records building in the background. It’s a really cool video. Wayne Isham’s the director, he’s a really cool guy and we are excited about it.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  WHEN WILL THE VIDEO RELEASE?

Jared: I’m not sure when the video is going to release, but since you asked, the new album comes out June 8^th. The title is Miss America and the new single “Stupid Girl (Only in Hollywood) has just been released to radio. We are trying to sell some ads here and get some plays going. Yeah, business is business.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  CONGRATULATIONS!

Jared: Thank you

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  HOW DOES THIS ALBUM DIFFER FROM YOUR FIRST ONE? HOW DO YOU THINK IT COMPARES?

Jared: This record doesn’t have a song called “Addicted” on it. (Laughing) No, the difference in these two albums is that we had a lot more time to work on the first one. No, that is a joke as well. We are a little bit more mature on this album and you can tell we are no longer a rookie band. We have a lot more of the live performances under our belt. We are more mature and more in depth with our music. The response has definitely been good. People say that it definitely sounds like us, but with a little bit more. We are really confident and excited about what we brought to the table. We are anxious to see the response.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  WHICH SONG OFF THE NEW ALBUM DO YOU THINK BEST REPRESENTS THE BAND MUSICALLY?

Jared: A song called “Mississippi Moonshine” because we are all from Mississippi and we know how moonshine is made down there. They run it through carburetors before you drink it, so we are definitely rock and roll as well as whiskey fans.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  THE TITLE TRACK “MISS AMERICA” WAS CO-WRITTEN BY MARTY FREDRICKSON. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE BEHIND THE SONG?

Jared: This song is about a soldier, man or a woman, writing home to their family. It’s about being away and being somewhere that you don’t know too well and having to fight. It’s about your thoughts and your prayers having to deal with all of that. What‘s going on in your head is usually back home with your family, friends and where you call home. Marty was a really good guy to work with and he really helped us interpret the message of the song.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  THAT IS ONE THING I CAN SAY ABOUT YOUR BAND, YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF OUR TROOPS.

<b>Jared: </b>That’s right; we recently just got back from Iraq and Kuwait. They gave us the opportunity to go and we wanted to be a part of something big. We just got tired of thanking them every night, we wanted to do something for them, so it was an honor and a privilege to go over there and play for our troops. It was something really special.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  TELL ME ABOUT THE SONG “STUPID GIRL.” IT IS THE FIRST SINGLE OFF THE NEW ALBUM RIGHT?

Jared: Absolutely correct!

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  WHICH ONE OF YOU WROTE IT?

Jared: Jason, Skidd Mills and I wrote that in the studio. We wrote it two days after the Grammy’s this year. We were fortunate enough to get to go and be a part of the experience. Two days later we were in the studio and I was reading a quote by Marilyn Monroe that stated “A wise girl always kisses before she’s kissed, leaves before she’s left and forgets before she’s forgotten.” To me, that says a lot about her because you know she wasn’t stupid, she knew what was going on. The message of the song is about one of those Hollywood girls trying to use everybody and work her way up the ladder. It’s a simple song and it says a lot. I’m a big Marilyn fan, so I wanted to get her involved in my music somehow. We had the Hollywood theme going in our heads still, so we were excited about writing it. It was one of the last songs on the record that we wrote which ended up being the first single. It was the same with “Addicted.” We are hoping it follows the same format.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  DO YOU KNOW THE BAND JET BLACK STARE?

Jared: I do, we have done a few shows with those guys. I do remember the vibes that they put off and they were good, genuine, cool dudes.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  I WAS TALKING TO THE SINGER NOT TOO LONG AGO AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD ALL THESE POSTERS ON HIS WALL THAT INSPIRED HIM TO WRITE. ONE OF THE POSTERS WAS MARILYN MONROE.

Jared: That’s awesome; she’s beautiful and fun to look at too.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  YOU RECENTLY PLAYED A USO SHOW ABOARD THE USS CARL VINSON. HOW DID THE SHOW GO?

Jared: It went absolutely amazing. There was thousands of people right there on the flight deck. The ship wasn’t docked or ported, we had to get in a plane and fly out like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. We landed on the plane with the little hook catching the cable and we went from 198 mph to zero in three seconds. It felt like a ride at Disney World, it was really cool and it was very exciting. It was a great show with such a warm welcome. We got to tour the boat and do a lot of the things that the people on the boat told us they haven’t even got to do. Some of them have been on there as long as four and a half years. I actually got to drive the boat believe it or not. I got to put my hands on the wheel and do a little G turn. I just can’t believe all the places we’ve been, all the people we’ve met and the things that we’ve done over the past few years. It’s totally erratic. It was so cool to actually go and see those guys because they work their butts off. When you get there, they just want to show you what they do because when someone comes in from the outside they are like “Dude, look how cool we are.” It was cool to be a part of that experience.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  THERE WAS FOOTAGE OF THAT SHOW FILMED. WHEN DO YOU THINK IT WILL AIR?

Jared: I’m not sure, but it will be out shortly. We also have video of us overseas doing the Iraq and Kuwait performances. They will probably be out about the same time.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  YOU HAVE ANOTHER USO SHOW COMING THIS WINTER RIGHT?

Jared: I don’t even know what day it is, I just know I’m supposed to be in this room with you, at this time, doing this interview. We have a lot of stuff planned with USO, there are so many different things set up. We’ve talked about going back to some of the forts and air bases that we have been to before and doing some of our acoustic stuff. I’m not really sure what winter tour they have going for us, but there is no way that we are going to say no to it. We are all for it.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  SINCE YOU ARE OUT ON THE ROAD SO MUCH, WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE MORE FRIENDS WHO ARE MUSICIANS THAT NOT?

Jared: Real friends that I can count on one hand, no they are all back in Mississippi. Good genuine character people that I can count on to get me the right advice at the right time musically, yes are musicians. Brent from Shinedown, Brad from 3 Doors Down, all these guys I’ve got to talk to and listen to. I respect them so much and it is obvious that they know what they are doing. I’m like a little kid listening to a teacher, I soak it all in and try to apply it to everyday life, so thanks guys!

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  DO YOU EVER GET THAT PEOPLE JUST ASSUME BECAUSE YOU ARE ALL FROM MISSISSIPPI THAT YOU KNOW EACH OTHER?

Jared: Yeah, a lot, they are like “Hey, do you know them boys from 3 Doors Down?” I’m like “Yeah I do, actually.” (Laughing)

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  YOU’RE ALSO PLAYING ROCKLAHOMA THIS YEAR. I WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT SO EVERYONE CATCH YOU AT THAT SHOW.

Jared: Absolutely, don’t miss the best thing about summer and that’s these festival shows. Each and every band that is there is there to put on a show. It’s one of my favorite times of year, waking up out of the bunk, open up the bus door, the alcohol smell in the air and then you hear the crowd cheering in the background for the band that is playing. The boobies come out and everybody’s happy. We re excited because we get to visit with a lot of the bands that we’ve met throughout the years, it’s just a good time.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO PUT TOGETHER THE SET LIST FOR A SHOW? YOU HAVE SO MANY GREAT SONGS.

Jared: It depends on where we are playing, how much time we have and if there are any little kids in the audience. Now that I’m a dad, I pay attention to stuff like that. I don’t want to go cursing in front of all these three or four year olds whose moms just wanted to come and check out the Saving Abel band. We are going to be doing a new set coming up soon, and we are really excited about the changes we are going to be making.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO AFTER A SHOW?

Jared: My favorite thing to do after a show is, not even change clothes, as soon as we get done I hop off the stage and go straight to the merch table. That’s when everybody’s leaving and you get to tell them all thank you, shake their hands, take pictures and sign autographs. I used to be that dude, pay for those shows and I always wanted them to do that for me. We love our fans so much, we will stand there for hours while we are drinking of course. We will take our shots and sign autographs.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  WHAT IS THE CRAZIEST THING THAT A FAN HAS ASKED YOU TO SIGN FOR THEM?

Jared: I’ve signed a lot of things.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  THERE IS AN UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE GOING ON IN HERE.

Jared: Can you imagine what’s going on in my head? I’m thinking “Nope, you can’t say that, nope that can’t happen.” I have got to sign a couple speeding tickets. One dude asked me to sign a $100 bill. I was like “Dude, this is a hundred dollars. Can’t you get something good with this? I’m basically committing a felony here.” If they don’t care then I don’t care.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  DID YOU GROW UP IN A MUSICAL HOUSEHOLD?

Jared: Absolutely, I remember every Saturday dad would clean the house with Hank Williams Sr. playing. Every Saturday night my dad would bring the family over with their banjos, harmonicas, pianos and you name it. We would sit in a circle, sing and play. It has been a part of our lives. That’s why I love music so much; it speaks to everyone regardless of who you are or where you are from.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  WHAT MUSICAL STYLE WAS YOUR EARLIEST INFLUENCE?

Jared: went through phases. I went through a Lynard Skynard phase, but I also went through a Tupac phase as well when I was at the Y playing ball trying to be cool. There are so many different phases that I went through, but I predominantly stuck to rock and roll. It always reached me and made me feel more so I stuck with it.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  WELL, I HAPPEN TO THINK THAT YOU ARE REALLY COOL.

Jared: That’s awesome, my mom always said to start out with a compliment.

SHAUNA O’DONNELL:  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INTERVIEW JARED. IT’S BEEN FUN. I WISH YOU THE VERY BEST AND I HOPE TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN SOON. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD OR SAY?

Jared: We want to thank you guys for the time; you are the ones who get our voices out there. More importantly we want to thank the fans that put the gas in our tank to get us to the Rocklahomas. We have been there and we want to keep coming back.  Hopefully, we will see you soon.