Nothing ever stays truly dead on Supernatural – if you haven’t figured that out by now, you’re not paying attention. So when we lost our favorite fiery red-headed witch Rowena at the end of season 12, hopes were high we hadn’t seen the last of her. Much to the joy of the fandom, she was back for season 13 with a vengeance, and whole new, totally powerful storyline. Let’s dive into our favorite Rowena moments from season 13!
Season 13, Episode 12 – “Various and Sundry Villains”
Rowena is miraculously back from the dead in her first appearance this season. Or not so miraculously, as it turned out she’d put a resurrection spell on herself long before the Lucifer got his scrubby mitts on her. She shows up just as Dean and Sam find themselves glamoured by a couple of witches attempting to steal the Black Grimoire. Rowena had put a tracking spell on the book (or so it seemed) in an attempt to steal it when it was on the move for a spell it contained – one that would help her protect herself by taking away some of the power dampers that had been put in place long ago. In the process of working with Dean and Sam, she learns that Crowley has died, and it affects her in a way they didn’t expect.
In their pursuit of the two witchy sisters, Sam and Rowena wait for Dean in the Impala, and find themselves swapping horror stories about the trauma Lucifer inflicted on both of them. Its enough so that later, when the book is recovered (in a classic Rowena triple-crossing) Sam takes pity on her and tears the page she needed out of the book before they bring it back to the bunker. In the last scene of the episode we see Rowena using that spell, and the blue ties that bind her are shattered. In the center of the room the lights go out, and she sighs with relief as her eyes glow a new shade – she’s finally free.
A fully powered Rowena (Ruth Connell) is a dangerous thing. Credit: CW
Rowena has been, with few exceptions, a very stoic character. Strong and self-assured, she seemed bullet proof. But in this episode for the first time, we really see Rowena’s emotions break through. In the car with Sam, she’s downright vulnerable, confessing to him that Lucifer’s true face keeps her up at night – and he agrees. Across party lines, so to speak, they meet in shared trauma. In this, Rowena is an echo of so many women who have felt trapped and powerless in the face of their abuser.
But she’s powerless no longer when she implements that spell at the end, and we get a glimpse of a fully powered Rowena – a much more formidable foe than we’ve seen before.
Season 13, Episode 19 – “Funeralia”
Appearing to have gone on a murder spree across Oregon, Rowena is instead making an attempt to disrupt the natural order of things to attract the attention of Death herself. She is killing people who, in truth actually deserve it, but her target was instead the reapers that came to collect the souls. Sam and Dean make an attempt to stop her with the help of a reaper, but she will not stop until Death finally answers her call.
“Death has something I want – my son.”
Rowena (Ruth Connell) is distraught over the death of her son, Crowley. Credit: imdb.com
The guilt Rowena feels over Crowley’s death is unexpected and frankly, fascinating. Throughout the seasons they’ve had an interesting dynamic – never particularly close, but like a symbiotic pair. With his death, she feels responsible for dragging him, or rather, the innocent son she remembers, Fergus, into the darkness along with her. In all the time that we knew Crowley, we never saw him blame his mother for the choices that he made. But she nonetheless feels guilty. It is a reminder to us that Rowena is many things, but among them, a mother. It brings a softness and fierceness to her character that we hadn’t explored yet.
Season 13, Episode 19 – “Funeralia”
In their attempt to stop Rowena from killing reapers, Sam finds himself face to face with her. Being that they’ve found this common ground in shared trauma, she doesn’t believe he’ll actually hurt her – until the witch killing bullet leaves the chamber. She knocks him out, dragging him back to her hotel room to try one final way to get a hold of Death: killing a Winchester. It works, as Death finally shows, but expresses total apathy as to whether or not Sam lives. In the last moment, Rowena finds she cannot do it, despite the fact that she’s been told that in every version of her death, there’s only one person who kills her. Sam Winchester.
Rowena (Ruth Connell) has Sam (Jared Padalecki) right where she wants him. Credit: CW
We all know that Supernatural is known for their bait and switch but this crucial fate – that Rowena will always meet her end at Sam’s hand – introduces an almost gentle dynamic between the two. There was already the thread of shared trauma between them, but now it seems like Sam feels a sort of responsibility to Rowena, to help her redeem herself in some way. And Rowena takes some comfort knowing that Lucifer won’t be the one to kill her in the end. Some may say that knowing your fate is a bad thing, but for Rowena, it almost seems to chill her out. We also see her make an attempt at a path of redemption, which we see her continue on for the rest of the season.
Season 13, Episode 21 – “Beat the Devil”
Original recipe Team Free Will is ready to go to the apocalypse world to save Mary and Jack with the help of Gabriel and Rowena. The only thing they need now is archangel grace. Gabriel, still not at full power, isn’t able to produce enough to create the portal, so they need to find a better source. As Sam, Dean, and Cas argue in the kitchen about their next step, Gabriel and Rowena wait in the study and size each other up. Rowena, who “knows a thing or two about wounded male pride”, gives Gabriel a raised eyebrow and it is on. When the boys arrive at a decision they find Gabriel and Rowena somewhat red-faced and debauched.
Rowena (Ruth Connell) contemplates what she could with Gabriel (Richard Speight Jr). Credit: CW
Rowena has always been a little minx, but here we see her getting her groove on completely on her own terms. She’s not looking for anything from Gabriel other than a good time, and for once it’s refreshing to see Rowena with a love interest she’s not trying to manipulate or control to her own ends. In a character that has pretty much used her sexuality only to get more power, her tryst with Gabriel sort of humanizes her, in a way. It’s a cool bit of character development.
Season 13, Episode 21 – “Beat the Devil”
Later in the episode, Rowena and Gabriel together take out Lucifer and drag him back to the bunker to be an endless supply of grace to keep the portal to the other world open. Rowena is left on babysitting duty of the Devil, whilst the boys go on ahead. She sits patiently while Lucifer gets increasingly annoying – at first, just singing his fool head off, but eventually starting to talk about the time that he murdered her – but she isn’t phased. In fact, she turns the tables on him, and reminds him that right at that very moment, his grace is instrumental in his son being reunited with the men he actually considers his fathers. And Lucifer isn’t one of them.
In a rage, Lucifer breaks free of his restraints and slams Rowena against a wall. She’s shaken but not down, and gathers up all her strength to push him away… and directly into the open portal. We next see her gathering her things and talking to herself, as she makes an attempt to get away, but at the last moment, she stops and makes a character changing decision. She’s going to do everything in her power to keep that portal open as long as possible.
One of the themes for season 13 was redemption, and in episode 19, Rowena asked Dean if he thought she could be redeemed. He thought that she could be, and one of the ways to do that would be to help them get their family back. This moment, one where Rowena has chosen to leave a hundred times before, is so critical because she made the opposite choice. There is no self-serving reason for her to stick around to make sure that when Team Free Will 2.0 wants to come back they can, but she knows it’s the right thing to do. So she just does it, showing herself and the rest of the team that she can be redeemed.
Ruth Connell brings so much warmth, sass, and magic to Rowena that I can’t imagine anyone else playing her. The witch’s story arc was expansive and interesting in season 13, and I really hope they continue to explore her character in season 14! What were your favorite Rowena moments? Let us know in the comments below!
Tom Payne (left) talks to Kelly Ripa (center) and Ryan Seacrest (right) – Jeffrey Neira | Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and TV Distribution
Tom Payne, most known for his role on the hit AMC series The Walking Dead, appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan this morning!
Tom talks about Season 9 of The Walking Dead, which just premiered, and how it’s Andrew Lincoln’s final season. He also shared a fun story about what fans call him.
You can watch the clip below. Make sure to check out Live with Kelly and Ryan, which airs weekdays. Check your local listings for times!
Ruth Connell is BeWitching in her latest campaign. Credit: www.shopstands.com
Ruth Connell (Rowena, Supernatural) invites everyone to cast a spell or two with her new campaign, “BeWitch”. Partnering with Stands, the sleek new design is available on black off the shoulder, short sleeve, or long sleeve shirts.
This campaign is taking your magical look to a new level! Also available is a gorgeous silver necklace with charms reading “slay” and “the witch is back”. A pitch black and vibrant purple flask reading “Brew” and a classy hex bag round out any witchy wardrobe.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit My Hope Chest, which supports breast cancer survivors and helps with the costs of reconstructive surgery. Get your witchy goodies before the campaign ends!
June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) will not be silenced. Credit: imdb.com
MGM Television and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment have announced that the second season of The Handmaid’s Tale will be available in Blu-ray™ and DVD on December 4th. The 4-disc set will contain all 13 episodes, as well as two brand new featurettes that delve deeper into Margaret Atwood’s award-winning, best-selling novel: “Season Two: Off Book” and “Dressing Dystopia.”
The CW’s choice to cast Orange Is The New Black alum, Ruby Rose, as Batwoman has been a controversial one. But now we see her orange jumpsuit has officially been traded in for a black and red Batwoman costume.
Stephen Amell shared this tweet showing Rose’s promo pic for the upcoming arrival of Kate Kane. What do you think of the new Batwoman’s look? Let us know in the comments!
Supernatural‘s Richard Speight, Jr. has shared a photo from the set of his latest project. Speight will play a character named James Thomason in the new film No Place Like Home. The film from Marvista Entertainment marks the directorial debut of female filmmaker Kaila York and also stars Kelly Kruger and Christopher Sean.
Speight shared the photo of himself and Kruger on his Instagram on Monday.
There is no doubt that Kim Rhodes has a wonderful, inspiring and empowering way of bringing Jody Mills to life. Every episode with Jody seems to have a special moment. Whether it is an important moment for the character or a just a moment we can personally connect with, something special seems to always take place when Jody graces our screens.
Season 13 was definitely a big one for Jody Mills. There was a lot of set up for the backdoor pilot “Wayward Sisters.” It started with episode 3 “Patience,” in which Jody helps Dean Winchester and Missouri Moseley on a case involving a wraith going after psychics. This of course introduced us to Missouri’s granddaughter Patience. In episode 9 “The Bad Place,” Jody is briefly in the episode at the end when Patience comes to her door with premonition. That premonition and the fact that Sam and Dean were missing leads to Jody’s biggest episode, episode 10 “Wayward Sisters.” We get a big glimpse of Jody’s home life, her relationships with Alex and Claire and her hunting life. That episode showcases her character in way we have only seen glimpses of before.
Lets take a look back at our favorite moments from Jody last season.
Season 13, Episode 3 – “Patience”
Towards the end of the episode, Dean and Jody are talking with Patience. Patience explains how her dad wants her to hang up the whole psychic thing and for her to have a normal life. Which Dean agrees with. He explains how hunting is nothing but heartache and death and that if she has a shot at normal, she should take it.
After Dean walks away, Jody talks to Patience and tells her she doesn’t have to listen to either of them if that is not what she really wants. That it is her choice if she wants normal or to use her psychic powers. She explains that she had a daughter, Claire, and how she tried to give her a normal life and it did not work out. She followed that by giving Patience her card and telling her that if she ever needs someone to talk to, her door is always open.
James Turner (Adrian Holmes) talks to his daughter Patience (Clark Backo) while Jody (Kim Rhodes) looks on. Credit: imdb.com
This moment was important for a couple reasons. First, it sets up a relationship for Jody and Patience. In the past, she has taken in Alex and Claire. She has made a home for two girls whose lives were affected by hunting. With Patience so new to her to gift, Jody is making sure she has a place to turn to as well. This shows how much Jody cares and protects. That is the heart of her character.
The second reason it’s important is because Jody called Claire her daughter. The root of Supernatural has always been that family does not always end in blood. You do not necessarily need to be related to be family. Jody lost her family, but she found Alex and Claire, two girls she took in as her own. It also sets up one of the big focuses in “Wayward Sisters,” which is Jody and Claire’s relationship with each other.
Season 13, Episode 10 – “Wayward Sisters”
After Claire defeats a few werewolves and saves a young girl, Jody calls her. She explains that Sam and Dean are missing and that she needs Claire to come home. There is a big reason for that. Not just the facts that the boys are missing, but Patience’s vision as well.
“Hi, Claire. It’s Sam and Dean. They’re missing. They were in a hunting trip, and I haven’t heard from them for a few days. It’s time to come home.”
For Claire (Kathryn Newton) “home” is wherever Jody (Kim Rhodes) is. Credit: imdb.com
This scene was important for a couple reason as well. It establishes that despite Claire being on her own and hunting, Jody’s home is still “home.” I think it also sets up that Claire will always have a place to come home to.
It is also a huge shout out to Supernatural’s pilot episode. One of the first few scenes between the brothers, Dean comes to Sam and tells him that, “Dad’s on a hunting trip and he hasn’t been home in a few days.” It shows just how important and special this backdoor pilot was, as well as how important Jody is that she delivered the iconic line.
Season 13, Episode 10 – “Wayward Sisters”
Later in the episode, as the group of women try to track down Sam and Dean, Jody and Donna split off to the abandoned shipyard where Kaia had opened the door to The Bad Place.
Once they find it, Jody is determined to go in even though Donna is weary about it. But as Jody explains, she has to do it. If she does not, Claire will. She know how determined Claire is, and that she would never be able to be talked out of it. And Jody cannot lose another child. But her plan is thrown off course as the creatures from The Bad Place arrive and Jody and Donna now have to fight and protect themselves.
Jody (Kim Rhodes) and Donna (Briana Buckmaster) stare at the door to another world. Credit: imdb.com
This is a callback to the first episode we met Jody Mills, Season 5’s “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid.” Her son, who she had already lost, came back from the dead. But her undead son turned evil, and he attacked her husband. In a matter of moments, Jody lost her entire family.
It is what makes her relationships with Alex and Claire special, because they have also lost so much. It is something all of them could relate to. And once again, Jody had a family. But in this moment, you can see Jody is scared she is going to lose another child, a child she considers a daughter. She is willing to risk her own safety, even her own life, to protect her girls.
Season 13, Episode 10 – “Wayward Sisters”
While Jody and Donna are hunkered down in an old, rusty car trying to defend themselves from the creatures, Claire arrives with a flamethrower in hand along with the other girls to save them. Shortly after this, Claire sees the door and runs toward it with Jody quickly behind her.
Kaia is already there standing before the door, as Claire and Jody enter. Jody notices that it is getting smaller, that it is closing. So Claire tries to make a go for it, but Jody stops her. Claire tells her that she knows she is just trying to protect her, but she needs to save Sam and Dean. With a smile, Jody tells her she knows with conviction. But she is quickly torn between Claire and Donna, Alex and Patience’s calls for help. So with glassy eyes, she tells Claire to go. She watches as Claire and Kaia disappear through the door before going to join the others
Jody (Kim Rhodes) and Donna (Briana Buckmaster) instruct Patience (Clark Backo) and Alex (Katherine Ramdeen) on how to take out monsters. Credit: imdb.com
This was a big step for Jody, letting Claire go. We know how much Jody wants to protect Claire, but she also knows that Claire also needs to do this. Jody is aware how important it is that Claire does this. And that it is a risk they all have to take because it is the right thing to do.
It is a key turning point in their relationship with one another. On top of letting Claire go, there is also a gain of trust. Jody is trusting Claire that she can do this and that she has faith in her.
Season 13, Episode 10 – “Wayward Sisters”
Claire saves Sam & Dean with the help of Kaia, but unfortunately Kaia does not make it. She is killed protecting Claire, something Claire promised she would do. Sam, Dean and Claire come back through to their world and door closes behind them. Claire shouts “No!” and Jody comes in. She sees Claire distraught on the floor. She puts her gun away and goes to cradle Claire in her arms.
With a look to Sam and Dean, and a shake of the head from Sam, Jody knows that Kaia didn’t make it. She knows why Claire is upset and continues to hold her in her arms, rocking her back and forth and trying her best to comfort her.
In this moment we truly see how much Jody is a mother at heart and how much she truly loves these girls. She didn’t think twice to comfort Claire. She didn’t even know why Claire was upset at first, just that she was. She cradled Claire in her arms as if she were her own. And Claire didn’t fight it. While heartbreaking, it was a true mother and daughter moment. There was no doubt in this scene just how much love Jody had for Claire.
We already know that we’ll see a return of Jody (and all of the Wayward Sisters) in season 14 – but we don’t know yet what’s in store for her. What were your favorite Jody moments last season? What are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!
Season 7 of Arrow looks to be shaking things up. The Arrow Twitter account released the new trailer for the season and we’ve got a lot of action coming our way. As we know, the season is starting up with Oliver adjusting to life in prison. By “adjusting,” I mean ending up in battles for his life more often than he prefers and visiting the prison infirmary on a consistent basis. The team is still hard at work and Felicity is ready to reign fire and brimstone down on Diaz, the big bad who can’t seem to be caught.
The most interesting piece of the trailer is something Arrow has been teasing us with all summer. We knew there was someone else acting as the Green Arrow, but the assumption was that it was one of the team. This new trailer shows us that the team doesn’t know. So, who is this new player in the Arrowverse? Tune in to The CW on Monday, October 15th at 8/7c and see if you can figure out who the new vigilante on the block could be.
Creation Entertainment announced it will be live streaming select panels at the Jacksonville, Florida Supernatural Convention from December 7th-9th. Through Stageit you can purchase tickets to watch panels of Rachel Miner, Rob Benedict, Richard Speight, Jr., Matt Cohen, Emily Swallow, Jason Manns, Misha Collins, Ruth Connell, Mark Pellegrino, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. There are also tickets available for the Saturday Night Special featuring Louden Swain.
How does it work? In the upper right corner log on to the Stageit site either using your personal Facebook or by creating a Stageit account at no cost. When logged in, in the top section where it says ‘Main Stage’ click the Supernatural Official Convention option. This is where you can choose the panels you want to attend, click on the panel and then press ‘buy a ticket’, here you can pay with either a credit card or PayPal. Then the tickets will be sent via email, then all you have to do is click on the link provided before the panel starts and enjoy from the comfort of your own home.
To get your ticket you can go to the Stageit website.
The schedule for the Stageit panels is:
Friday, Dec. 7
Rachel Miner 8:45 AM PDT (45 min)
Emily Swallow 9:30 AM PDT (45 min)
Jason Manns 11:15 PM PDT (45 min)
Adam Fergus & David Haydn-Jones 1:00 PM PDT (45 min)
Saturday, Dec. 8
Mark Pellegrino 7:30 AM PDT (45 min)
Richard Speight Jr., Rob Benedict and Matt Cohen 10:30 AM PDT (45 min)
Misha Collins 1:30 PM PDT (60 min)
Saturday Night Special Concert 6:30 PM PDT (90 min)
Sunday, Dec. 9
Ruth Connell 11:30 AM PDT (45 min)
Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki 12:15 PM PDT (60 min)
Richard Speight Jr. and Rob Benedict 2:00 PM PDT (45 min)
Which panel are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below.
Jason Manns is a person who wears many hats. He is a singer, songwriter, member of the band The Station Breaks, music producer, and soon-to-be marathon runner. He also keeps himself busy as part of the Creation Entertainment convention circuit, traveling all over the world. He is brilliant, fascinating, and charitable. This past weekend, myself, Pau, and guest interviewer Julia were able to interview Jason on behalf of Nerds and Beyondwhere we talked about all his upcoming projects.
Nerds and Beyond: So let’s start with the “Bad Idea Tour”. Can you share a little bit about this Random Acts E4K project, and what made you want to participate in a marathon?
Jason: Well I have this friend, Misha Collins, and he’s the kind of person who can leave his house and run fifty miles just because he was bored. We were sitting in the green room at a convention a while ago, and I was talking about the fact that I needed motivation. We did Tough Mudder several years ago, and I remember having that was the push I needed to workout. I was telling him that, and he was like, “Well I’m running a marathon, you should run it with me”, and I said – before I was really thinking about what I was saying or doing – “That sounds like fun.”
Nerds and Beyond: Fun?
Jason: It was the wrong word. He looked at me and said, “Really?” The way he looked at me made me feel like I should reconsider what I just said, but it was already said.
Nerds and Beyond: What is your training regimen looking like?
Jason: I do about four runs a week, one of which is a long run. I add between 10-20% to the length of the long run [every time]. This past Monday was thirteen, and the next week I’ll run sixteen, I think.
Nerds and Beyond: We’ll all be cheering you on. Since this is for charity, I wanted to ask you what charitable causes are close to your heart?
Jason: Anytime I am given the opportunity to raise funds for something, I always try to direct them towards the orphanage in Haiti that Random Acts built.
Nerds and Beyond: You went there, right?
Jason:I went there. Being there, I remember painting the walls, and I remember seeing the faces of the kids. I remember how happy and joyous everybody was. To see the physical manifestation of the work you have done through fundraising is just awesome. To paint a wall that was built with money that you helped raise, brings it home in a way that I had never really experienced before. So that’s always what I do.
Nerds and Beyond You’ve participated in producing different music for artists like Briana Buckmaster and Gil McKinney. Can you share what your favorite part is about doing that work?
Jason:I discovered that I really like producing when I was doing the first Christmas album (Christmas with Friends). I told everyone I was doing a Christmas record, asked if they wanted to jump in and sing something, and pretty much everybody said yes. I recorded it in my house. It was a total friends and family deal. My brother engineered it, and it was the first time I had worked in the studio and was not the singer. I did sing some things on the album, but I didn’t sing everything. It was the first time I was the one saying, “Hey, try it like this,” or “What if you sang this note?” It was really fun putting those puzzles together on each track, and I just discovered that I really liked producing in general. Specifically, I really liked working with singers and helping them find their own voice in the studio. A lot of the Supernatural cast have amazing voices, and they have grown up in musical theatre or grown up singing. The singing they have done has usually been performance and not recording in a studio. They’re really different things. It’s really fun helping somebody through that process, and telling them they can take way more chances in a studio. They can do more things, and they can try things different ways. It takes a really long time to just be able to throw caution to the wind and do crazy stuff with your voice, and eventually find something that works really well.
Nerds and Beyond: We just went to Briana’s performance in New York City, and she did amazing. It was her second performance, and I think it seemed like it was her hundredth performance. What was it like as both a producer and a friend seeing someone go from it being perhaps more of a hobby, to seeing them in the studio, and ultimately live?
Jason: It’s fantastic. It’s also interesting to have this feeling that, fatherly is the wrong word, but in every aspect of my relationship with my friends on the convention circuit, we are absolute peers. Then to be in a situation where I kind of take a mentor role and help with the production and producing, looking at the show. I like taking on that role and showing people what I’ve been doing in my career apart from the cons.
Nerds and Beyond: Aaron Beaumont is brilliant. Was it your idea to bring him and Bri and the piano piece performance together?
Jason: When we conceptualized her album, I wanted it to be piano heavy to differentiate it from a lot of other stuff that we are kind of used to hearing her sing. So we actually started with piano tracks for almost all the songs, and then we built a song around it. When we had a little private show in Los Angeles for some of the Kickstarter backers it was a really intimate show, and it didn’t make sense to me to have this big huge raucous performance for 10 people. So I said, let’s do just the piano, and it ended up being really unique and really interesting. It ended up really nice, and we decided we should dig into it. So when it came time to do a show in New York, since we had already done a show in LA with the full band, and Aaron lives in New York, we thought we could do the entire thing that way. It was really spectacular. I think the piano arrangement leaves room for the harmonies the way the whole band doesn’t so you really get to hear those two singers singing that song together [Wave] rather than big band, lead vocal, backup singer.
Nerds and Beyond: Going back to Gil, can you share anything about the Christmas album?
Jason: Yes, there will be Christmas songs on it.
Nerds and Beyond: Can you share one?
Jason: I would be happy to share with you, but we don’t know yet. We have a list that we are going to work off of, and we will record more songs than we need so that we can pick the best ones. Given the time constraints and that we want it to be ready by Christmas, I think it will be a piano arrangement similar to Briana’s show. I’m looking forward to it, it will be really fun.
Nerds and Beyond: Is there still a dream for a Richard Speight, Jr. country album in the future?
Jason:We are working on it. We are officially in preproduction. We have a list of songs. We are basically in the same place with Richard’s as we are with Gil’s. Gil’s will be simpler, so we are going to start with his and get it done by Christmas, and then shift gears to Richard’s and hopefully work on that until it’s finished.
Nerds and Beyond: Very nice. Switching gears to The Station Breaks. Can you share anything about The Station Breaks’ writing process, and specifically you and the band seem to connect as friends, so how does that influence the work you do together?
Jason: The Station Breaks is a project that grew into existence slowly. Rob and I started singing together many years ago, and we would just sing when we were at the same place with guitars. Then we started performing once in a while, and then we decided we should maybe writer some original stuff just so we have something to breakout that people haven’t heard before. We wrote a couple songs and we really like them, and then when we said, “Let’s do it, let’s make a real band,” Rob brought in Billy [Moran], and I brought in Cooper [Appelt] and Rob Humphreys, and it just kind of turned into a thing. The writing process specifically, the first record I would say is a pretty even split between songs Rob and I wrote together. Then we brought Billy in on [and there were] songs the three of us were in a room together writing, or songs that one of us brought in near completion or completed that the other two either gave notes on or reworked a little.
Nerds and Beyond: And do you have anything coming up with The Station Breaks?
Jason: We are in the process of writing, but it is a little bit slow going because we are all so busy. I’m producing those other things, and Louden Swain just did an acoustic record. We’re always traveling, so we’ll find a window soon and really focus on the writing and then we’ll just get it recorded.
Nerds and Beyond: So you just went on tour with Blake Lewis. What is your favorite part about performing live, and do you have any traditions or superstitions before performing or after performing?
Jason: My favorite part of performing is when you get into a role, where you’ve had a couple shows, you have a couple more to go, and you’re in a place where you’ve knocked the rust off. You feel good, the voice is there, you’re not tired yet, and you’re comfy. That’s right in the middle of the tour. It’s kind of fun to experiment with songs you’ve played a thousand times. You can get on stage and play with stuff a little bit, you can sing it a little faster or slower, change the key or do a run at a different place than you normally do. It’s fun to just make things different, and that’s why I like touring with other musicians. Having Blake there, it is literally impossible to do it the exact same way with Blake because he’s a musical mad scientist. We get finished with a song, and we’re like, “What did we do?” and we can’t even remember what we did. So yeah, I like that. I like ad-libbing and changing things up, being in the moment.
Nerds and Beyond: I know that you studied English Literature, and there are artistic connections to that in its own way. Are you artistic in any other way besides music?
Jason: Depends on your definition of artistic. I wish that I could draw, but I cannot.
Nerds and Beyond: You write. Do you ever write poetry or short stories, or anything like that?
Jason: Sure. When I first got to L.A. I did some script doctoring, but I don’t know that I would have any kind of art that I would be happy to say, “Hey this is another type of art I can do.” None of it is at the level of what I can do with my voice, so I’d rather just say, “I’m a singer.” Do I enjoy writing? Yes. Do I write screenplays, or poetry, or do I want to write a novel one day? Yes. Is it anything you could read? No.
Nerds and Beyond: So we at Nerds and Beyond always ask nerdy questions. So along those lines, asking some of our traditional questions, who is your favorite superhero?
Jason:Can I ask for clarification? Movie or comic book superhero?
Nerds and Beyond: Either or, or both.
Jason: Daredevil was my favorite comic book superhero. I have not enjoyed his film representation as much as I enjoyed the comic book. As far as screen adaptations go, I feel like Wolverine is tough to beat.
Nerds and Beyond: What would your lightsaber color be?
Jason: Green.
Nerds and Beyond: Do you want to share a little bit more about why? Is it just like a feeling, or is there anything that comes to mind?
Jason: I couldn’t even tell you because green isn’t even my favorite color. It was the force, it spoke through me.
Nerds and Beyond: What do you nerd out to, what are you a fan of?
Jason: Star Wars. I remember when I was young, my older brothers were into Star Wars. So automatically it was the coolest thing on earth because watching them nerd out about it made me nerd out about it, and it’s just very nostalgic. I also used to nerd out about comic books a little bit. I’m not really into comic books anymore. Just because I don’t have as much time.
Nerds and Beyond: If you were going to introduce the Star Wars universe to your kids. Would you introduce the movies to them in chronological order, or film release order?
Jason: That is such a good question. I feel nervous about the conclusions you will draw about me as a human being by my answer. I feel like my gut is telling me to give them release order because that way the dip is in the middle.
Nerds and Beyond: This was a big debate in the Supernatural fandom. Waffles, pancakes, or French toast? If you had to choose one.
Jason: Am I making or eating?
Nerds and Beyond: Eating.
Jason: Pancakes.
Nerds and Beyond: You’ve been trolled lovingly online about “Space Jam”. Here and now, to put it to rest (which I think will be the biggest breaking news from this interview), will you share if you will ever actually play “Space Jam”?
Jason:I promise that I will not ever play “Space Jam”, and not share it with everyone.
Nerds and Beyond: So you’ve never played it before?
Jason: I have not ever played it before. I feel like I now I kind of have to play it, but at this point it has to be epic.
Nerds and Beyond: At this point I also feel like you have been having so much fun trolling everyone back.
Jason: Yes, indeed. I feel like with this kind of lead up, if I did a crappy cover of “Space Jam” as like a throwaway, that is not worthy of the years of commitment that these fans have put into trolling me with “Space Jam”. Also, there’s a new “Space Jam” coming out. Maybe we should have mounted a fan campaign to get something in the movie. Maybe I’ll do something to celebrate the release, or maybe I’ll just watch the new one to see if there’s something there.
Nerds and Beyond: A lot of people have comfort food, do you have a comfort song?
Jason: Yeah, Sam Cooke is where it’s at.
Nerds and Beyond: Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Jason: I have enjoyed this interview, and Nerds and Beyond is awesome. I have a lot coming up!
Thank you again to Jason for taking the time to answer our questions!
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