From tattoos to whiskey with Hinder and Saving Abel

Rock bands Hinder and Saving Abel will perform Sunday at The NorVa in Norfolk.

We spoke to frontman Austin Winkler from Hinder and guitarist Scott Bartlett from Saving Abel in separate interviews.

Winkler called during a day off in Orlando, Fla., before rejoining Saving Abel for the second leg of the tour.

"We've had a lot of fun, plus taking on an opening band called My Darkest Days," Winkler said. "They remind us of ourselves back when we first started out. Just very green."

Taking this question from the online contest at www.hindermusic.com, How many tattoos total does the band have, and who has the most?

Oh my gosh... what were the options again? I think it's the first one: 56. Mike (Rodden) the bass player has the most.

How would you describe Hinder's music? I think it’s just good fun rock ’n’ roll. When you come see us live, you’ll understand why we can write a song like “Lips of an Angel” and then a song like “Striptease” and it makes sense.  

"Back in Black" is in the song lyrics of "Put That Record On." How much has AC/DC influenced the band?

AC/DC, I think, definitely, has had a huge part in our music, just like some others: Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses. There are a lot of references in "Put That Record On," with the lines having song titles.

Since "Lips of an Angel" went country with Jack Ingram, just for fun, what other Hinder song do you think would do well in a country format?

That's a good one. I think it would be cool to do a country version of "Put That Record On" or even "The Life."

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Before joining Saving Abel in 2005, Bartlett lived in Baltimore, attended Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., as a guitar major; did session work; and played in a cover band called Rusty Lemon. Vocalist Jared Weeks and guitarist Jason Null were already working together when Bartlett was asked to join them on guitar. He spoke from his home in Memphis.

When I first heard the name Saving Abel, I thought Christian music. It's not. How did the band come up with the name?

After throwing out many names, one day, Jason, who does read the Bible, said one night he was just Googling the story of Cain and Abel when a line popped up that said, "There was no saving Abel from his brother Cain." So, it was like, "How about Saving Abel?" That's the first thing I said: "People might think we are a Christian rock band." It works, and it's got a good ring to it.

What was the band's expectation for its self-titled debut in 2008, and were you surprised when the album certified gold?

I don't think any one of us knew. None of us had signed a major record deal before, so we were all nervous and intrigued at the same time. Literally, we hit the road and just stayed out for over a year. It wasn't until we came back that they said, "Oh, by the way, 'Addicted' (the first single) went platinum."

What song on 2010's "Miss America" do you feel the most connected to?

I did a lot of the writing on "Contagious," which came from a really cool place for me. So, sonically and musically, I feel connected. I also like "I'm Still Alive" because Jared wrote it without the assistance of anybody, including our producer. He is a very literal songwriter, so every lyric of that song I can picture Jared. I'm really proud of him for that, even though I barely played on it.

Does the band have a personal connection to the military?

All of us have relatives that are or have been overseas. My dad was a doctor in Vietnam. We've gone over there (Iraq, Kuwait), and we've been on two aircraft carriers. We've talked to them, but when you go over there and look into their eyes, it's somehow a little different. I don't care if you support the war or not, you've got to support the people over there fighting for democracy.

What should people know about you, Scott?

I can out-drink anybody in the world when it comes to Jack Daniel's. I'm also the Maryland State Bench Press Champion. (That was in 1996, just in case you're curious).

Patty Jenkins, (757) 446-2298, patty.jenkins@pilotonline.com