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Saving Abel started as a little band in Corinth, Mississippi... but in just a few months after the release of their self-titled debut, Saving Abel is a BIG band with hit singles “Addicted”, “18 Days” and “Drowning.”  Musicpix knows a rising star when we see it and these five guys can write a hit song.  Catchy lyrics and hooks that stick... so we guarantee you’ll find yourself humming one of their choruses with just one listen.  

After seeing a couple of Saving Abel performances, Musicpix caught up with Scott Bartlett- (Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals) for a phoner.  Tune in:

Musicpix:  We caught two of your performances lately.  One at Rock on the Range and the second at Rib America/St. Louis.  I’ve got to say, the crowd went nuts during both shows.  Especially the brave MANY that stood in downpours in St. Louis!  Your fans are rabid and sadly the St. Louis crowd didn’t get to hear “Addicted” because the show was called due to thunderstorms.   Talk about how you handle situations that are out of your control.

Scott:  We’ve all been doing this for a long time and personally, I’ve been rained out my fair share of times but it’s the first and only time that Saving Abel has been rained out.  My guitar tech ran up to me and said ‘you might get electrocuted!’ and I said well I guess you’re going to earn your money then today huh?  Jered had already introduced it (“Addicted”) and that’s the song that put us on the map and we said we’re going to play it unless they pull the plug.  If they do that, there is nothing we can do.  There’s probably some liability if we would have been struck by lightning they could have gotten sued.  The whole lightening thing changes everything.  Rain people can deal with.  We did Memphis in May this year which is always a big deal for me because I live in Memphis so I can remember digging in the trenches as a Memphis studio musician wishing I could play Memphis in May.  We did it this year with Shinedown whose guitar player Zack Myers who is a fellow Memphian who I’ve know forever.  Our crowd was 25,000 strong in the pouring rain.  When people are going to endure that kind of storm, we better bring our A Game.

Musicpix:  Your music appeals to most every age bracket because you guys have the ability to write a great hook.   Can you explain that magic?

Scott:  I think that all of us come from different places musically but we’re all rooted in radio.  We all grew up listening to the radio.  We all know a strong hook when we hear one.  We are all very passionate about our art and so when it comes down to it, we listen to each other.  Sometimes we hate each other but when it comes to good a song, that’s what matters most.  We sit down and try to write songs that appeal to people. You don’t always hit a home run.  We have stupid ideas too...we have just as many stupid songs as we do good songs.  That’s what keeps us sane.  We don’t take ourselves too seriously.  But when it’s time to write the next song, we sit down and so many different elements come out of us.  Being from five different places and being five very unique human beings, we have a great knack for bringing out that hook.  Somebody might say ‘that’s a really great lyric but we should change the melody up’  We all sit down and listen to each other instead of holding on to a song and saying ‘this is mine’.  We’re all willing to listen and try to get the best song out of whatever ideas that we’re working on at the time.

Musicpix: Well wouldn’t the world operate a lot better with a listening philosophy instead of all this “mine-mine-mine’ business?

Scott:  That’s probably better than any religion…

Musicpix:  You're living your dream...what it's really like?  How do you stay grounded?

Scott:  I’ve been trying to get here my whole life.  I’m 31 years old.  I have no kids, no girlfriend, and no wife.  I have a mom and dad and a brother and a sister who are all doing their own thing so I have family.  When it comes time for Christmas, I go home.  But apart from that, it’s ALL things Saving Abel at ALL times.  I have to defer to the monster that is Saving Abel because it has gotten really big and I’m not about to jeopardize that for myself nor my business partners who are in the band.  I am living my dream and I love what I do but I see it as a business also.  For example, we’re off the road right now and working on our next album.  I’m not at home.  I’m in Nashville in a hotel and I’ll be up at the studio in about an hour and a half and I’ll probably be there the rest of the day and all night.

Musicpix:  You led right into my next question because I knew you were taking the month of June in Nashville…so how is the new work coming along?

Scott: It’s fantastic.  Just to bring something else up about normal life.  I got home to my house in Memphis and my ex-girlfriend had left the house and her cat had gotten fleas.  So I have a flea infested house that I own and my car is broken down in front of my house.  I was there for three days and just said ‘hey I’m going to Nashville.’  So I just up and split and here I am in a nice hotel…I love hotels.  You put out a sign and get fresh towels or DO NOT DISTURB…

Musicpix: I want to talk about “18 Days.”  It has touched so many people and continues to do so as you dedicated this song at all of your performance to the Armed Forces and now offer fans to record a message to the troops.  When will this version become available?

Scott:  It’s all contingent on when the messages come in…that’s one of those things.  It’s a business.  We told our label that we have lots of friends and family overseas and we’re very passionate about how we can incorporate the military into this song via the internet, MySpace or whatever….so they came up with that idea.  We’re just waiting for those responses to roll in and then it will be up to the label to figure out.

Musicpix:   Okay Saving Abel fans…this is important!  Go to www.savingabel.com to record your personalized message to the troops!

Scott:  To be honest, if there was a draft, I’d be over there…it’s just one of those things.

Saving Abel live at the Rock on the Range Festival

Musicpix:  Wouldn’t that be a tough call?  Your career is taking off like crazy and you get a draft notice?

Saving Abel Concert Photos

Scott: My Mom has already told me that she’d shoot me in the foot before she’d let me go over there.

Musicpix: I've listened to your debut CD MANY MANY times and it’s a great little road-trippin’ CD and using a title of your hit single, I'm ADDICTED. Every tune really sticks in your head.  Can you talk a little bit more about the 'stickiness factor?’

Scott:  Our Producer Skidd Mills helps us rummage through all of our ideas.  It’s not uncommon for me to come up with a verse idea and then we’ll marry it with one of Jared’s chorus ideas and then we have to tweak the lyrics.  I think sonically, Skidd is brilliant in making choruses huge.  That’s where the hook is.  That is what struck me the first time I worked with Skidd.  I kept thinking, these guitars just sound enormous…is that really me playing?  It’s the way he mixes it.  When you get to that hook on every single song on the record it just opens wide.  It’s like goose bumps.  And then we’ve got Jered who’s got a sweet spot in his voice that we’ve found.  He’s not exactly a three octave range guy but his sweet spot is absolutely amazing.  The harmonies are strong and the lyrical content is good but it’s not exactly reinventing the wheel.  We write songs that appeal to people because they are easy to understand.  When you combine all of those elements, it’s the ingredients for hit song making.

Musicpix:  You guys appear to really have your head together.  Can you give any advice to that kid who’s in their garage today with their band struggling with 'real world challenges' but feels compelled to follow their musical dream?  Is there any one particular thing you’d tell them?

Scott:  Yeah there is.  None of this would have happened for us if it wasn’t for management.  Our management found us on MySpace and they called us.  I’ve been though bad managements and bad deals my whole life because I’ve been chasing this dream forever, so this is important.  The hardest part about getting your stuff out there is getting someone to listen to you and take you seriously.  If they don’t have a reason to, why would they bother?  It’s really tough to be that diamond in the rough.  You can say ‘keep your eye on the prize’ all day long but it takes hard work and there are people out there that can help you.  People in the music industry just don’t listen to anyone.  They listen to people who have a reputation.  You find out who those people are and you don’t stop bothering them until they listen to you and get your product into their hands.  Then they move you on to the next person and hopefully they can help you further your career.

Musicpix:  I was enjoying your “Drowning” video today….a pretty sensitive rock song featuring Jeremy Mayfield.  Talk about how this came about and why NASCAR?

Scott:  NASCAR approached us after the success of our first two singles (Addicted and 18 Days) and I know that our label had been talking with them about doing something.  We’re a southern rock band and NASCAR is huge in the south so it makes sense.  The song “Drowning” is about what we were just talking about….not giving up on your dream.  Persevering in the face of adversity when all odds are stacked against you.  Conceptually, that video features Jeremy Mayfield as our protagonist who dreamt of driving a car instead of working in the pit.  In the end, the hard work paid off.

Musicpix:  I like the closing scene in the video (“Drowning”) when the kid gets an autograph.  My son was backstage at your show in St. Louis and got an autograph and photo opp with Jered and he was genuinely kind and a really nice guy!  Some artists just aren’t really open to their fans and I can tell that your band understands that fan interaction is critical to success.  Talk about it…

Scott:  It’s tough sometimes when you’re on the road touring rigorously.  You have to remember that just because you are tired some of these people have been dying to meet you.  They get their 10 seconds.  You need to suck it up and remember that you could be diggin’ a ditch somewhere…

The Band

Jared Weeks- Lead Vocals
Jason Null- Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Scott Bartlett- Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eric Taylor- Bass Guitar
Blake Dixon- Drums

Discography

Saving Abel-2008

The Tour

Fri 06/26/09   Dubuque, IA  Mississippi Moon Bar   
Sat 06/27/09   Milwaukee, WI  Summerfest Grounds   
Thu 07/02/09   Billings, MT  Shrine Auditorium   
Mon 07/06/09   Great Falls, MT  Mansfield Center For The Perf. Arts   
Wed 07/08/09   Sault Ste. Marie, MI  Kewadin Casino Dream Makers Theater   
Thu 07/09/09   Lansing, MI  Adado Riverfront Park   
Sat 07/11/09   Camden, NJ  Susquehanna Bank Center             
Sun 07/12/09    Hampton Beach, NH  Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom             
Tue 07/14/09   Scranton, PA  Toyota Pavilion At Montage Mountain             
Wed 07/15/09   Wantagh, NY  Nikon At Jones Beach Theater             
Thu 07/16/09   Cadott, WI  Chippewa Valley Festival Grounds   
Fri 07/17/09   Hershey, PA  Hersheypark Stadium   
Sat 07/18/09   Burgettstown, PA  Post-Gazette Pavilion             
Tue 07/21/09   Holmdel, NJ  PNC Bank Arts Center             
Wed 07/22/09   Saratoga Springs, NY  Saratoga Performing Arts Center             
Fri 07/24/09   Mansfield, MA  Comcast Center             
Sat 07/25/09   Hartford, CT  Comcast Theatre             
Tue 07/28/09   Virginia Beach, VA  Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater             Wed 07/29/09   Bristow, VA  Nissan Pavilion At Stone Ridge             
Fri 07/31/09   Charlotte, NC  Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre             
Sat 08/01/09   Raleigh, NC  Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion             
Wed 08/05/09   Sturgis, SD  The Legendary Buffalo Chip   
Sun 08/09/09   Toronto, ON  The Molson Amphitheatre   
Tue 08/11/09   Clarkston, MI  DTE Energy Music Theatre             
Wed 08/12/09   Clarkston, MI  DTE Energy Music Theatre             
Fri 08/14/09   Cuyahoga Falls, OH  Blossom Music Center             
Sat 08/15/09   Noblesville, IN  Verizon Wireless Music Center             
Mon 08/17/09   Pelham, AL  Verizon Wireless Center Birmingham   
Wed 08/19/09   Cincinnati, OH  Riverbend Music Center             
Fri 08/21/09   Tinley Park, IL  First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre             
Sat 08/22/09   Maryland Heights, MO  Verizon Wireless Amph. St. Louis             
Sun 08/23/09   Algona, IA  Freedom Park   
Tue 08/25/09   Englewood, CO  Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre             
Wed 08/26/09   Salt Lake City, UT  Usana Amphitheatre   
Fri 08/28/09   Ridgefield, WA  The Amphitheater At Clark County             
Sat 08/29/09   Quincy, WA  Gorge Amphitheatre             
Mon 08/31/09   Wheatland, CA  Sleep Train Amphitheatre             
Tue 09/01/09   Mountain View, CA  Shoreline Amphitheatre              
Thu 09/03/09   Irvine, CA  Verizon Wireless Amphitheater             
Sat 09/05/09   Chula Vista, CA  Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre             
Sun 09/06/09   Las Vegas, NV  MGM Grand Garden Arena             
Tue 09/08/09   Glendale, AZ  Jobing.com Arena             
Wed 09/09/09   Albuquerque, NM  Journal Pavilion             
Sat 09/12/09   The Woodlands, TX  The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

By

Gwyn Tyme