Making Hits for Your Heart

December 2012

It was the last few days before the guys would leave Nashville to head back to Arizona. They were doing rehearsals for their upcoming mini tour as well as finishing up last minute things like additional backing vocals to guitars and everything else in between and figuring out what the final track would be for the album—the ending to the record. The guys were sitting in the studio lounge having a band meeting to figure out a name for their untitled fourth album.

“So what are we going to call this album?” Pat said, with his laptop open and perched on his lap.

“We should call it, ‘A Bunch Of Dudes Make Badass Music’…” Garrett joked while he fiddled around with his camera.

“Or ‘Thanks Ryan Adams For The Idea’.” Jared said, with a chuckle as he took a sip of his water.

“You remember when Ryan was talking about how he was going to make a music video with a bunch of friends and like he was trying to think of some Halloween related store and was like, “Let’s go get some clothes at that Forever Halloween store.” John said, laughing as he reminisced over the fond memory. The rest of the band began laughing as they recollected.

“And you were like ‘ There is no store called, Forever Halloween. Don’t you mean Forever 21?’” Kennedy said to John before breaking out into more laughter.

“And the fact that you knew what Forever 21 was baffled him the most…” Garrett said, pointing at John. The laughter had died down before they all sat in a comfortable silence for a moment.

“What about ‘Forever Halloween’?” John spoke up, grabbing the attention of his fellow band mates.

“Reason?” Jared asked, completely intrigued by his suggestion.

John thought for a moment to compose his thoughts before answering, “I guess... it’s like the daily kind of camouflage that we all wear in scenarios we put ourselves in and how easy it is to forget who we really are, and pretend to be something we’re not. Everyday is Halloween in a sense for some people, we can pretend to be anything.”

“That’s some deep shit man… but I dig it.” Garrett said, looking at John in awe by his reasoning.

“I love it.” Pat said looking up from his laptop.

“I do too.” Kennedy agreed happily with a smile.

“We got a title?” Jared asked, looking around the room to see everyone nodding their heads in agreement.

“We got it.” John said, clapping his hands together and smiling. He knew exactly what song to end the record with…

Forever Halloween was born.

-----

After a long day in the studio recording the final song “Forever Halloween” that John had written during their lunch break from a surge of inspiration. Then everyone had spend the latter half of the afternoon through out the early evening arranging and recording the song… and the album was finished.

Later that night Brendan and Jamison had decided to take the guys out for dinner and drinks in celebration for finishing the album as well as a farewell (for Brendan) of some sorts.

After a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant, the group went to a bar Brendan and Jamison had frequented-- Ryman’s. Immediately as they walked in and grabbed a table, they were greeted by staff and patrons alike.

“Mr. Bensen and our favorite Song has come in… with some fresh meat.” A middle-aged man said, as he shook Brendan’s hand.

“Daryl!” Jamison said happily to the man, immediately getting out of her seat and greeting him with a hug. “This is The Maine… we just officially finished recording their fourth album with them. We are out to celebrate. Naturally we brought them to where the party always is. Guys, this is Daryl, he owns the place—and that over there is Aaron, his son.” Jamison said, introducing everyone to one another and pointed over to the bar to Aaron who waved at everyone happily before going back to pouring drinks.

“Nice to meet you all…” Daryl smiled, “A round of the usual then?” He asked looking over at Jamison and Brendan.

“Yes please.” Brendan said, lighting up his cigarette. “I got to nurse this drink if I am driving back home…” as Daryl walked away to grab their orders.

“Brendan has become an old fart.” Jamison joked, causing everyone to laugh as Brendan quickly grabbed her and put her in a headlock.

A few minutes later, Aaron had appeared with drinks and large amounts of food. “Shots of whiskey, fries, some fried stuff, and more fried stuff.” He said, placing random things upon the table as everyone passed things down the table.

“Thank you.” Jamison said grabbing a few fries before stuffing them in her face.

“So Jamison… our karaoke machine has been missing you. What’s it going to take for you to get up there and sing us something?” Aaron asked half jokingly, gesturing over to the stage as a patron went up and grabbed the microphone while the intro to “I Will Survive” began.

“Fuck, is it karaoke night?” Jamison asked, looking at Brendan in panic who just cackled in pure joy while shaking his head. “A lot more booze and food… and maybe it’ll happen. But even then…” She said, trying to be nonchalant while shrugging her shoulders and staring at the food.

“I’ll have the next couple of rounds be on the house…all I ask for is one song.” Aaron pleaded.

“Come on Jae… free drinks.” Garrett pestered, causing Brendan to just laugh and John smirking behind his glass.

“Nothing is free… I have to go up there and sing.” She said, pointing to the stage.

“Do it for us… we did finish an album.” Pat bargained, causing everyone to agree.

“And a great one at that…” Kennedy said, with more agreement amongst the table.

“You guys are lucky we’re celebrating tonight… and that you made such an amazing album.” Jamison said, pointing a finger at everyone before getting up from her seat. “Give me another round and I’ll get up there. I got to find courage somehow… who wants to join me?” She asked, as she took the drink Brendan had handed her and downed it in one go.

“Hey Jamison, what song?” Aaron asked, sounded completely excited for what was about to happen.

“Your choice.” She said, as Aaron walked off to get ready for Jamison. “No one is going to go? You all suck, I am going to remember this moment.” She pointed a finger at everyone again like a schoolteacher scolding her students causing everyone to hold back laughter.

“The next person up is a favorite at ‘Ryman’s’ some of you may already know her. If not, you will… here is Jamison Song.” Aaron said, into the microphone while applauding as Jamison walked up shaking her head in embarrassment taking the microphone from him.

“I’m only up here for in exchange for drinks… and the group of assholes over there who suckered me into it. But I hope you guys can just bear with me.” She mumbled, before breaking out into laughter as Daryl kept yelling from the bar. “This one if for you Daryl…” She pointed at him, giving him a wink as the music began.

The intro to Jack White’s “Love Interruption” began to play as everyone in the bar began to cheer.

I want love
To roll me over slowly
Stick a knife inside me,
And twist it all around.

I want love to
Grab my fingers gently
Slam them in a doorway
Put my face into the ground.

John watched in complete amusement while Jamison was over exaggerating her gestures from hands to facial gestures while singing to show her overzealous passion. Her voice sounded as amazing as he remembered when he had first heard her sing to Declan. Brendan and the rest of the guys were cheering her on from their seats shouting, hooting, and egging her on to continue on. A moment later Brendan had run up on stage and joined her causing the crowd to become even louder than it already was.

After the song had finished the entire bar had exploded in cheers as Jamison and Brendan walked off stage laughing with his arm over her shoulder putting her into another headlock of some sort and sat back at their table.

“Why didn’t you tell us you had an awesome voice?!” Garrett yelled, causing Jamison just to shake her head not agreeing with his statement.

“She fucking doesn’t think she does… dumbass.” Brendan said, chuckling as he playfully punched Jamison’s arm as she took a sip of her drink.

“Fuck you sir.” She said, giving Brendan the finger as everyone laughed at their banter.

“That was amazing…” Jared said, complimenting her causing Jamison to laugh nervously.

“I would pay good money to see more of that…” Kennedy said with a smile.

“We all have to go up there at least once tonight.” Jamison announced, “I already had my turn…” she rose her glass before taking another drink from it.

“I guess I am next…” Jared said, downing the last of his drink before getting up from his seat as everyone began cheering for him.

After what seem like an endless night of drunken karaoke, drinks, and eating liberal amounts of fried foods-- it was time to call it a night.

“I should’ve left with Brendan…” Jamison said, as she walked back to the table after using the bathroom with most of the guys being intoxicated to a certain degree.

“Badass Brendan…” Garrett slurred, with a chuckle, as he seemed to be the most intoxicated out of the bunch.

“Wasted.” Jamison said to Garrett; feeling a bit buzzed herself but nowhere near where everyone else was.

“You’re wasted.” Garrett said, before laying his head on the table.

“How are you not drunk?” John asked Jamison, seeming to be the next in line of being the least inebriated as he had nursed his drinks through out the night.

“Wooden leg, remember?” She joked, grabbing her bag.

“How are we going to get home? We didn’t think this out…” Kennedy said in a bit of panic and next to him were Jared and Pat going in and out of sleep.

“Daryl will drive you home… I’ll follow behind.” Aaron said, grabbing the keys from Jamison’s hands.

“I love you Aaron… I owe you.” She grabbed Aaron shoulders, before hugging him. “I love you both…” She looked over at Daryl.

“Anything for you.” Daryl said, “Let’s go guys…”

“We like it here. We like you guys.” Garrett said, trying to get up from his seat as Aaron helped Jared and Pat out to the car.

“You are always welcome here.” Daryl said, helping out Garrett and Kennedy.

After a short drive back to the house and Jamison profusely thanking Daryl and Aaron everyone was inside the house safe and sound.

“We can do this guys…” Jared said looking at the flight of stairs they had to go up to get to their rooms.

“Let’s do this!!!” Garrett yelled.

The four had decided to crawl up the stairs to their rooms causing Jamison and John to watch in pure amusement.

“I need bread or something to soak up the alcohol sitting in my stomach.” Jamison said, walking towards the kitchen as John followed and took a seat on the barstool at the kitchen island. “I apparently didn’t pee it all out.” She joked, grabbing a poptart from the cupboard.

“Tonight was a good way to end things.” John said, with a smile that seemed to have been glued to his face since the album was finished. “This is all over tomorrow…”

“It feels like forever yet, it doesn’t at the same time.” Jamison mused.

“I’m sad it’s come to an end.” He admitted.

“This is why I don’t believe in happy endings… how is it happy when things are ending?” She half joked, causing John to laugh. “But I’d like to believe things don’t really end… we just continue on.”

“So if this isn’t the end… you and I are just continuing on, this isn’t ending?”

“Yep. You should know living life on the road, you don’t always need to be right next to someone to be around…” She smiled, finishing off her poptart. “I’ll always be around. For as long as you want me to be around…”

“This whole process felt like so much more than just making an album for me…” He confessed, remembering their late night talks to the journal she had given him. This was beyond like any other album process for him and this was different than any other album they had made as a band.

“What did it feel like?” She asked, taking a seat across from him.

He thought for a moment before smiling to himself. “Finding my balance and foothold as a person and musician…”

Jamison smiled. “I’m glad.”

“We’re all lost and always will be in some way but I think when we have good people in our lives. It won’t always feel like we’re lost and even if it does… at least we’ll all be lost together.” John mused, as he stared off into nothing in particular getting lost in his own thoughts.

“We’re all in this together and we go down together.” Jamison said with a smile as she rested her arm on the top of the kitchen counter, leaning her cheek in the upraised palm.

“God, we drank so much…” John groaned knowing that they would probably start their drive late tomorrow.

“We did. Well… we didn’t, compared to the others.”

“That was awful nice of Daryl to drive us home.”

“He’s one of the best…” Jamison shook her head, “Plus, he adores me.” She joked.

“I don’t think there’s anyone in this town who doesn’t adore you… or maybe anywhere.” He laughed sheepishly touching the back of his neck surprised by his own words.

“I was totally kidding and there are plenty of people who don’t like my existence.” She chuckled trying to brush off the compliment John had given her.

“Who are they? I’ll go beat them up right now…” John said half jokingly, getting up from the barstool causing Jamison to grab his arm and break out into laughter.

“I’m afraid you’ll run into a tree and we don’t need any accidents, we need to send you back to your family in one piece…” She teased, as John took his seat again. “I don't want your mother to come after me.”

“No, my mom is way too nice to even do that.” He said proudly, “Plus, I’m sure she’d be proud of my chivalrous ways.”

“I’m sure.”

“We got to pack up and leave this place tomorrow… it’s been a good home to us.” He said, looking around his surroundings with a content sigh. “Did you even pack?” Reverting his gaze back to Jamison.

“I have one suitcase filled with my shit and one filled with presents I got for your family. I am ready.” She assured him.

“You didn’t have to… get presents.”

“I wanted to and yeah I did… I am crashing the O’Callaghan’s Christmas.”

“You were invited.” He asserted, “What are your plans after you leave Arizona?

“After I crash your holidays and things I am going to head back up to California to go have a much needed visit with Butch and Neal—and work…” she smiled at the latter part of her statement.

“Work dork.” John teased, holding back a fit of laughter at the “insult” he had come up with.

“Did you call me work dork?” Jamison asked in mock hurt, as she clutched her chest.

“I did.” John proudly, sticking his tongue out at her.

“Watch your back… and your coffee.”

“Oh little Jamie… so scary.” John said stretching his arm across the counter to grab Jamison by the cheek.

“Ass.” She laughed, swatting his arm away.

“Why are we still awake?” John asked, as he looked at his cell phone to see it was almost 3AM.

“I don’t know. But on that note, we should get to bed. I will see your face in a few hours…” She said, getting up from her seat and walking towards her room. “And congratulations on the album... I hope it’s everything you wanted it to be.” She said turning around to look at him, sincerely giving John a heartfelt smile and congratulations before going into her room.

“It’s so much more…” He said to himself.