Saving Abel

Saving Abel formed in 2004 in the small town of Corinth, Mississippi, when singer Jared Weeks and guitarist Jason Null crossed paths after Weeks, learning guitar at a friend's house, met Null, who played in a rival local band. Weeks was learning to play the guitar at his best friend's house and Null, who was in a competing rock band in the same town, walked in to rehearse, hit it off, and several days later were writing songs together. Early in 2005, their songs caught the ear of noted producer Skidd Mills, who brought the two into his 747 Studio in Memphis, Tennessee to record some of the songs. The band gradually came together with the addition of rhythm guitarist Scott Bartlett, bassist Daniel Dwight, and drummer Blake Dixon. The group's Southern-fried, riff-driven sound blended hard rock, post-grunge, and Southern rock influences, and their unusual name carried a dark biblical undertone; band member Jason Null thought up the band title saying "I Googled the story of Cain and Abel and found a line about 'there was no saving Abel', which just jumped out at me". The band's breakthrough arrived with their self-titled major label debut, released through Virgin Records. It was released on March 11, 2008 and produced by Skidd Mills, and the album peaked at number 49 on the Billboard 200, and was certified Gold by the RIAA on March 6, 2009. The lead single became a genuine crossover hit: Saving Abel exploded onto the national scene with their 2008 self-titled debut album, driven by the breakout single "Addicted," which reached #2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning multi-platinum status. The album also delivered other charting rock staples like "18 Days" (#10 Mainstream Rock) and "Drowning (Face Down)" (#24 Mainstream Rock), cementing their reputation as a hit-making rock band. The classic lineup behind this success featured Weeks, Null, Bartlett, bassist Eric Taylor, and drummer Blake Dixon, and momentum continued with their 2010 follow-up: their 2010 follow-up album Miss America featured the powerful single "Stupid Girl (Only in Hollywood)," which climbed to #7 on the Mainstream Rock chart, while the title track "Miss America" and "The Sex Is Good" continued to build on their radio success, the latter peaking at #1 on the Active Rock chart. Throughout their peak years, Saving Abel built a reputation as a relentless touring act. Over the years, Saving Abel has toured relentlessly, sharing stages with rock heavyweights such as Nickelback, Papa Roach, Hinder, and Buckcherry. The band also distinguished itself through its support of American troops, undertaking multiple USO tours; in 2011, the group played USO shows for American troops in Kuwait and for military personnel and their families at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A third studio album continued their chart run, as their third studio album Bringing Down the Giant (2012) further showcased the band's dynamic range and commitment to raw, emotionally-charged rock. The lineup has shifted considerably since then. Weeks split from the band in 2013 after their third album, Bringing Down the Giant, a year before, and the group recorded one album, 2014's Blood Stained Revolution, with new vocalist Scotty Austin, who remained with the band through 2021. After Austin left for a solo career in 2021, Weeks returned to the band and they continued together in the years since. The band's history since then has been marked by ongoing turbulence and reformation. In January 2024, the group issued a statement that they had parted ways with Weeks once again, but a few days later, Null posted that reports of the band splitting with the singer were erroneous. Amid the confusion, remaining members clarified their position, stating that "We are aware that Jared Weeks is also performing as Saving Abel but with different band members," and that his shows "have been arranged by Jared Weeks without our involvement. We are not part of Jared's iteration of Saving Abel and we will not be performing at these events." Despite the split, the core Corinth-founded outfit built around Null and Bartlett has persisted, and the band's catalog, anchored by "Addicted" and its era-defining run of Mainstream Rock hits, remains a staple of 2000s Southern-inflected hard rock.