Page 28 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 99

BV99 pg26-31 centre pages_BV99 pg28 17/11/2018 05:25 Page 3

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 28

he UK has definitely been missing out. It’s been a decade since Corinth, Mississippi
Trockers Saving Abel released their debut album, yet only now, ten years later, have
we had the fortune of witnessing them in the UK. The wait was most definitely worth it

though, as they impressed both on stage and off. And if you read on, you’ll discover what
caring guys they are, with hearts of gold as well as what sort of songs we can look forward
to on their next album – oh, and how guitarist Scott Bartlett has the wisdom of a 40-year-
old drunken wizard.
hrough hard work and determination, that he’ll never walk again. He was fighting it always people out there that want to help.
TSaving Abel signed to a major record but there was no way. And so I went in There’s a lot of good people in the world that
label before releasing their debut album on there… he was a kid… he literally wasn’t want to help. So if you have problems, ask
March 11th, 2008. Back then the line-up was shaving yet. And we had to play ’18 Days’ someone.”
very different to what it is now, although and he started crying and his mom and dad Scott adds, “And I think, when you do
Jason Null and Scott Bartlett have remained started crying and all we had to do was get what we do for a living, it’s very easy to fall
the core original members to this day. Their through it and not cry and all three of us, my- victim to your demons. We don’t have to
label in those days chose to focus on the self, Jared and Jason, failed miserably. We wake up and do a 9-5. This is harder work
U.S. “We were very young at the time and just broke down. But now we’re best friends than people think it is, but it’s very easy to
sort of aloof as to how the business with that guy. We stay in touch. I’m tearing open a bottle at the beginning of the day and
worked,” guitarist Scott Bartlett remembers, up talking about it right now. But we pro- just start drinking because somehow you’re
“so we toured the hell out of the U.S. We hit vided hope through song for somebody who cool if you’re a rocker that does that. By no
Canada, we hit India, we hit Iraq, Qatar, was at the end of his rope. He told us he had means are we straight edge. You can see the
Kuwait, Afghanistan, Japan. We just never considered killing himself, and we stay in beer and the booze over there in the corner.
seemed to make it over here.” touch with him.” We all have our demons in this band, but we
Countries like Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and help each other. If someone’s getting a little
Afghanistan were chosen so the band could he guys in Saving Abel – Scott, too drunk or a little too much we’ll say some-
play for the U.S. troops. The band are proud TScotty Austin (who replaced Jared thing. ‘Hey man, are you alright? Everything
supporters of their troops and have jumped Weeks, following Weeks’ departure from the OK at home?’ As people, we really are sup-
at the opportunity to play for them as often band at the end of 2013), Jason Null, bassist posed to love one another and look out for
as they can. Scott Wilson (who replaced Eric Taylor) and each other, and I think people kind of lose
Scott tells us, “Scotty says it every night; drummer Steven Pulley – have lent their that sometimes, especially in the music in-
we’re not pushing war, but we’re very, very hand to many causes. They frequently sup- dustry, where it’s all about getting ahead. So
proud that we have people that are willing to port beneficial organisations and causes you exploit weaknesses, and for us, it’s al-
sacrifice everything, including their lives, for both as part of Saving Abel and outside of ways about positivity and when it comes to
what America was built on, which is democ- the band. Earlier in the year, the band were drinking and drugging, hell, we’ve got a song
racy and freedom of speech, and for us, involved with a movement that focused on about that on the next record… We like to
that’s the ability to play rock ‘n’ roll.” creating awareness of the issues of suicide, have our fun but we don’t want to see people
One wonders if playing in countries such addiction and depression. Scotty says, “All suffer, especially ourselves.”
as Iraq and Afghanistan is dangerous, al- we can do is raise awareness and hope that If you’re like us you’ll want to hear more
though Scott says one of their scariest expe- if people have problems they say something about the new record that the band have
riences was not actually being there, but to someone. Speak out, that’s all you can do. been working on – their first since 2014’s
rather their flight in for the event. Scott tells Music is supposed to help people and that’s ‘Blood Stained Revolution’… so we ask them
us, “We played on an active aircraft carrier, how I feel about it. And if we can, we want to tell us more about that song.
so they had to fly us in and they asked us if to.” Scott sings, “’Here we come, rockin’ and
we wanted to ‘go in hot or go in like the other Scotty thinks things like suicide, addic- rollin’,’”
pussies.’ That’s exactly what they said. They tion and depression are getting worse with Scotty joins in, “’Whiskey and dopin’.’
called us out, so we said, “Well, we’ve gotta the aid of the internet and social media. “I There’s a little more to it than that.”
go in hot’. We ended up… we were facing the turned off my Facebook page because I no- “It’s basically ‘Saving Abel’s come to
wrong way. We couldn’t see anything. It was ticed, I was sitting in my house in my living town, get ready to party’,” explains Scott.
like an exaggerated rollercoaster ride and room and I would be angry at strangers just “We do party, but there’s a time when
you go from 250 miles per hour to 0 in about because of all the negativity and hate to- things get out of line,” adds Scotty. “Some
a second and a half when you land and stop, wards everyone. And I tell ya, I’ve been a lot people can have a good time and then go
and then you just sort of hope you’re not happier since I did, since I got off of it. I’m home and some people can’t have a good
drowning because you time; it never leaves.”
can’t see anything. That “They said when Dave
was pretty freaky.” “When you do what we do for a living, it’s very easy to fall victim to Mustaine was kicked out of
They have many tales your demons. We don’t have to wake up and do a 9-5. This is harder work Metallica, it was because
to tell from their experi- than people think it is, but it’s very easy to open a bottle at the beginning they were all the fun loving
ences of life on the road – of the day and just start drinking because somehow you’re cool if you’re drunks, pranking each other,
and in the air. Many fun, but he was the angry one,
others maybe not so fun. a rocker that does that.” - Scott Bartlett, Saving Abel. flipping the table upside
Some life-changing, some down. If we’re going to flip a
eye-opening, some emotional and many smiling now and I’m not worried about non- table upside down, we’re going to be away
they’ll remember until the day they die. sense that really has nothing to do with me. from everyone in a dressing room arguing
“The hardest thing I ever did with this People are mean to everyone. I think every- with one another and then we’ll hug it out in
band, before these gentlemen joined,” re- one should quit being so mean.” the end.”
members Scott, while sat next to vocalist When we ask if, aside from that, they “Like brothers.”
Scotty Austin and drummer Steven Pulley, have any experiences relating to suicide, ad- “Yes. We fight like brothers and we make
“was going to the Walter Reed Hospital in diction and depression, Scotty replies, “I up like brothers and then we get drunk to-
DC, in the U.S., in our capital. That’s where know about addiction. I was a terrible co- gether like brothers.”
our troops that have had limbs severed in caine addict a long time ago and I could not
war are taken care of. And I had to play ’18 get past it and I checked myself into rehab hile on the subject of the new
Days’ next to this guy’s bed that they warned and I was there for a long time, and it’s be- Walbum, in July the band posted a
me ‘he’s a lieutenant’. And they warned us cause, same thing with suicide, I couldn’t pic on Instagram. It had the caption ‘hard
that he had not come to terms with the fact help myself, so I asked for help and there’s work in the studio today’ with Jason lay on

SAVING ABEL