breen @ 2007-09-22T20:50:00

2007-09-23T01:01:13Z

Picture this. You're treading the ground backstage at a venue that has successfully fulfilled its maximum 10,000 person occupancy for the evening. The area is flocked with people who are desperately trying to get from point A to point B in as little time as they possibly can. Elbows bump and shoulders knock, but the only thing you can focus on is the table stocked with bottles of Cool Blue Gatorade and bags of Halloween-sized Skittles and Mini Oreo cookies. The items seem out of place in a world where people appear to be incapable of stopping and taking a breath every now and then -- let alone stuffing their face with sweet treats, but their purpose becomes clear once you look past the asshole who'd just knocked your drink out of your hand and fix your sights on the girl who's grown accustomed to hearing the words "I love you!" accompany her name.

At first, 19-year old Jamie Breen appears to be the same as any other girl her age. Her eyes wander from the person in front of her to the ceiling at least a dozen times throughout the conversation as though she's desperately trying to find a way to escape before the boredom consumes her tiny body whole. She then swings the focus down to the hem of her shirt and engages in a valiant battle to tug out a loose thread to no avail, but it doesn't appear to faze her. Instead, she simply nods and switches gears once she hears something that she likes. Suddenly, the self-proclaimed "Queen of A.D.D." snaps out of her head and cracks a grin, but I'm not sure why. She laughs and smacks the man in front of her upside the head, mumbling something that I can't make out from where I'm standing and I begin to guess what exactly I'd just witnessed. Perhaps he'd thrown out the infamous "do the drapes match the curtains?" line in a vain attempt at earning a cheap laugh from the petite vocalist. Contrarily, perhaps he'd offered her the same line without the slightest implication that he was joking. It's a mystery that I have yet to solve, but the girl in front of me isn't showing any signs of allotting me enough time to figure it out properly.

Jamie: Oh, dude. I'm sorry about that! Word on the street was that this was gonna happen after the show, but I'm guessing a few lines got crossed somewhere or something, so ta-da! Here I am. Sweet tie, by the way.

I barely have time to remember my manners and thank her before I'm being whisked away to one of the other rooms backstage. Aside from a couch that had seen better days and a vanity that was bare save for a small bag that I assume belonged to Ms. Breen herself, the room was bare. The chaos outside was exchanged for a calmer atmosphere, but she was quick to inform me that it probably wouldn't remain that way for long.

JB: The guys like to come in here and bug me while they eat, but don't worry. I'll totally give them a blue shower if they start getting under your skin.

A blue shower, eh?

JB: (laughs) Yeah!

Care to explain what that means?

JB: I think it coined the title, like... five... (her eyebrows furrow in thought) no, no, it was six months ago when we were enroute to Seattle. I don't remember how it happened, but we were all just kinda lounging around doing shit all, and being the rebel that I am I decided to try balancing my uncapped bottle of Gatorade on my lap every time the speed limit changed. So I was sitting there trying to keep this thing from falling over, and you know, it actually worked for a while! Here's the kicker, though. I'd had a cold for like, a week before that and I thought I was over it until...

I think I know where this is going...

JB: I think you do, too! So I was getting ready to stop and just drink the damn thing, but right when I was about to pick it up I busted out with this massive sneeze and bam, my pants turned from yellow to green in under two seconds. Cue me belting out a "BLUE SHOWER", and the rest, as they say, is history.

Sounds pretty brutal. Aside from... unfortunate beverage mishaps, how's the tour been treating you?

JB: What do you mean aside from beverage mishaps? Touring is all about spilling stuff, baby. Get with the program! (she laughs) Nah, but seriously... the tour's been great so far. I mean, I know everyone says that but c'mon, someone's gotta be having a lousy time. And you know, I think it can be hard sometimes but you've just gotta deal with it. Take showering, for example. There have been times where I've gone a whole fuckin' week without washing my hair, and there have been other times where I've just dumped a bottle of Evian (she pauses, seemingly in thought) Am I allowed to say that, or will you guys get sued?

No, no. Everyone loves free advertising.

JB: Alright, awesome. Anyway, so... yeah, I've done that and called it a shower, and it actually worked out pretty well. I mean, it got rid of the sweat. That's good enough for me.

Because no one wants a "stinky singer", right?

JB: (her eyes widen and she lets out what some would call a giggle) Ugh! Seriously, everyone needs to burn every fucking copy of that magazine ASAP. I was like, 16 when I did that interview, man! I didn't know what the hell I was doing!

Has that changed now?

JB: Not in the least, honey.

That's what I like to hear. A lot of fans have commented on how you guys stopped playing songs off "Breathe" after "The Morning After" came out. Is there a reason for that?

JB: Well... I don't know. I guess it can all be blamed on growing up. (she pauses) Fuck, how lame did that sound? (she laughs) Like... it was just natural, you know? I wrote most of the stuff on "Breathe" in the back of my math class 'cause I was already flunking, and I think the lyrics reflect that. They're not masterpieces, and... ya know, I really don't think I even knew what I was writing about. I mean, how many 16-year olds do you know that are totally in touch with what being in love feels like? But as I got older, I started to write about stuff that I actually knew something about and the guys started to play around with new riffs and gadgets, and everything just kind of progressed from there. (she pauses) So to answer your question, I think we just grew out of those songs after a little while. Out with the old, in with the new. It's the circle of life.

I hear ya. So I take it the crowd won't be hearing a riveting rendition of "Complicated" tonight?

JB: No, no, no. That song's like Voldemort to us. It that shalt not be named.

What about "Skater Boy"?

JB: ...That one, too.

What can the fans expect from tonight's show?

JB: Something that they haven't already watched on Youtube. I think the hardest thing we've had to deal with so far is changing the show just enough to keep it from playing like a repeat every night. We've swtiched up the set list a few times already, gone out there in our pajamas... you know, lame stuff like that. Tonight we're all going to be wearing these awesome shirts this girl gave us at the meet and greet earlier. I don't even know how to describe them, but... they're nifty, I'll leave it at that.

I'll take it. How does it feel to know that there are people out there who view you as a role model?

JB: It's... kind of weird, I'm not going to lie. I kind of expected it to happen after "Breathe" came out 'cause the kids at our shows kept looking younger and younger, but I don't think it actually sunk in until last year. Don't get me wrong, though. It can be pretty cute. Like there was this one girl at our last show that was decked out in full "Alone" attire. I'm talking the boots, the skirt, the hot pink eyeshadow -- everything, and I swear it was one of the greatest things ever. And I'm cool with that kind of stuff, you know? Dye your hair if you want to dye your hair, embrace color, rip your shirts, it's all good! But when it goes further than that and people start wagging their fingers in my face every time I'm caught with a cigarette or swear in a song, it gets really irritating. So I guess it's a balance between good and bad. We'll call it "gad".

Sounds gad, I mean good. Now, the burning question: who exactly do the pieces of your heart miss when they're gone?

JB: That's my little secret. (she shifts almost uncomfortably, but laughs it off) I guess it's about whoever people want it to be about.

Are you in the mood to elaborate?

JB: Hook me up with a few shots and I might be!

jamie

breen @ 2007-09-22T20:50:00