Courtesy photo

Southern rock quintet Saving Abel doesn’t need a rescue. They’ve been topping the charts with a new self-titled album.

In 2004, lead singer Jared Weeks and guitarist Jason Null started the band in small-town Corinth, Miss. After hearing their style, producer Skidd Mills took the guys up to his studios in Memphis, Tenn., according to the band’s bio. There they recorded an indie EP with new members guitarist Scott Bartlett, bassist Eric Taylor and drummer Blake Dixon.

Since then, Saving Abel has soared to the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. And their song “Addicted” has slutted its way into the No. 3 position on Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. Guitarist Jason Null took a few minutes to talk with 210SA in advance of Saving Abel’s show at Scout Bar on Saturday, June 21.

I heard that in the early days of the band, you guys used to throw demo CDs onstage at big concerts in hopes of getting discovered.

Jared would go to a lot of concerts, and he would call me to tell me about it. “Hey, I’m going to see 3 Doors Down. and I’m going to see Incubus.” And I’d send him off with a backpack of CDs to the concert ..... trying to do anything to get attention.

Now you’ve signed with Virgin Records, and you’re No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart. What’s that change like for you?

It looks like it’s happened overnight, but really it hasn’t. It’s been in baby steps for us. Not a whole lot has changed for me. I’m enjoying the bus now and getting able to get some rest. I can actually rest now. When you’re in a van with seven other guys ..... I was the one who got stuck curled up in the corner in the fetal position all the time, trying to rest. You kind of start feeling like a circus carnie or something. That’s been the biggest change for me.

Who’s Abel and why do you want to save him?

We had the songs, we had the band together ..... we were starting to book gigs and stuff like that. And we really just needed a name. ..... I actually just googled the story of Cain and Abel and there was a line from the excerpt of a book and it said, “There’s no saving Abel.” There’s irony in the name right? There was no saving Abel, but we named the band Saving Abel.

Are you religious at all?

I don’t know about religious; I’m spiritual. I’m a Christian guy.

What inspired the song “Addicted”?

Jared was dating a girl, and they were just like fresh into the relationship, and they had had a good night. He came over and sat down with the guitar. He came up with the line, “I’m so addicted to/All the things you do/When you’re going down on me.” ..... That was pretty hardcore. That was kind of pushing the envelope.

Any other addictions you want to tell us about?

The safest answer I can give: It is the music. We’re all out here because we love to play music. Before the deal, there were no girls, there were no tour buses, there were no parties.

Looks like the girls in the video for “Addicted” got pretty frisky. Did you get to help pick the ladies in it?

No. Actually, I think our label and the producer knew the girls or were responsible for recruiting. When we got there, we were pleased. We were not disappointed with their choices. And I have to say, those girls were that pretty in person. The video did no kind of touch-up work.

Is the video true to the life of a rocker? Are the hotties after you all the time?

Yeah, it just happens. It’s just kind of the nature of the business. There are girls that want to hang out with you. And there are guys who want to hang out with you and buy you a drink. Once you start developing fans, they want to feel a part of stuff, and that’s a way of doing it.

Did you show your mom the video of “Addicted”?

It’s funny you asked that because I got the call two days ago from my mom. ..... It’s one of those things where you’re not proud of yourself at that moment. Your mom is the only person who can make you want to crawl into a corner and hide. That was what it was like for five minutes. I felt like I should send her flowers. Sorry, Mom.

Jennifer Lloyd | 210SA