Rivalries between bands can get intense. Two opposing groups within the same area tend to compete furiously for fans and exposure. Very rarely do the two forces come together and form a whole new band, such as what Saving Abel did. If anything, the band had a very organic beginning, with the two founders meeting each other by chance. As their current success would attest, it was a very, very fortunate coincidence.

Saving Abel: Anything But Safe

"Our goal is always to concentrate on the song, not just on one cool part to make a kid bop his head."

Rivalries between bands can get intense. Two opposing groups within the same area tend to compete furiously for fans and exposure. Very rarely do the two forces come together and form a whole new band, such as what Saving Abel did. If anything, the band had a very organic beginning, with the two founders meeting each other by chance. As their current success would attest, it was a very, very fortunate coincidence.

Saving Abel at the Start

Jason Null and Jared Weeks were both natives of Corinth, Mississippi, each man with his own band. Weeks had been rehearsing with his when Weeks walked into the same venue to play with his band. The two hit it off, and were soon writing songs together for a whole new musical act. In 2005, just a year after the two met, the duo had already caught the ear of producer Skidd Mills, which headquartered the new band at Studio 747 in Memphis.

Over the course of the next year, Scott Bartlett, Eric Taylor and Blake Dixon signed on as guitarist, bassist and drummer, respectively. It was during this time that they built up their initial fan base, opening for any big band that happened to play in the area.

By 2006, the fledgling band released its self-titled debut album under its own label. The album made the rounds of publishers before a copy of Saving Abel landed on the desk of Rick Smith, who was then with Virgin A&R. The album was sent to the CEO, after which the band was quickly signed with the company.

Saving Abel on the Big Stage

Their self-titled debut was released under Virgin in March 2008, featuring Addicted as its first single, its #2 Mainstream Rock Chart position helping the album gain exposure. Just a year later, their debut album earned certified gold status from the RIAA with more than 500,000 units sold.

Rounds of extensive touring followed their mainstream debut. In 2008, the band toured with Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd and Buckcherry. The next year, they toured with Nickelback and joined the Dark Horse and Class of 2009 tours.

Did You Know That...

• ...songwriter Jared Weeks is known to have held a colorful variety of jobs? Before Saving Abel, he put in hours at a local hospital and K-Mart, among others.
• ...the band's name came from the bible? Jason Null was reading through the bible story of brothers Cain and Abel when a particular passage caught his eye.
• ...it wasn't long before they were signed? Virgin A&R took them on the day after a company representative flew out to listen to them in Tennessee.

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