Jaime St. James
of Warrant

    One of the biggest names in metal in the ‘80’s and beyond, Warrant has returned for another installment of good, old-fashioned metal with their new CD, ‘Born Again’, the first featuring vocalist Jaime St. James, best known for his work in the 80’s with the band Black n’ Blue.
    With tracks like “Hell, CA’,  ‘Dirty Jack,’ and a scorching cover of Judas Priest’s ‘Hell Bent for Leather’, the Down Boys have been packing fans into venues all over the country, and will continue on at least through the summer. 
    I caught up with Jaime after the show at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT, just three days before Christmas. The place was loaded with Warrant die-hards, and every copy of 'Born Again' sold. Here’s what he had to say about the music, the tour, his take on myspace, and more…

Blast: How are you Jaime?
Jaime: Just fine, I feel like a million bucks!

Blast: How's the 'Born Again' tour going?
Jaime: It’s going great. I think me and the boys are becoming a tight ass son of a bitchin’ band as we go along.

Blast:  Congrats on the CD's success. It sold out so quickly at the show in Connecticut. Has it been that way everywhere.
Jaime: Yes, it’s sells well. We play some of the songs live and the fans dig it, so they’re buying it. 

Blast: The fans were very happy to hear you singing classic Warrant, and the response to the new music was equally intense. You must be feeling pretty good.
Jaime: We love moving forward, but keep a tight hold on the past.  The band and I like old school rock n roll, and I think we do the old songs justice. I love them, and our new stuff fits right in. If you’ve heard us live, you know that.

Blast: 'Born Again' has been referred to as '80's rock with a modern edge'.  How would you describe it?
Jaime: That’s it; 80's with a kick ass edge. We just wanted to sound true to our hearts, and that’s why it rocks.
Blast: Are you adding more songs from it to the set list as it's popularity increases?
Jaime: Well, we play for 90 minutes, and a lot of that has to be the old Warrant stuff. We do one or two new songs, but we know what the fans want to hear at the shows.

Blast: Do you have a favorite 'Born Again' track?
Jaime: Yeah,“Hell", "CA”.  Great song and I will be writing more of those with the guys!

Blast: Are there any places you've played that you're planning to go back to on this tour?
Jaime: We’re working with the promoters and club owners, they are what help make all this work.

Blast: You guys packed the Wolf Den (Mohegan Sun/CT show) and, throughout the night, there were several requests for some Black 'n' Blue. I know you've done a few songs at some of the shows. Are we likely to hear more?
Jaime: The next time we come to the east coast we will do some Black n’ Blue. I didn't realize how many people remembered me over there. I love you guys, and thanks.

Blast: Are you still working with Black 'n' Blue, as well?
Jaime: Only on a limited basis; I sing for Warrant full time.

Blast: Your cover of Judas Priest's 'Hell Bent for Leather' absolutely rocked, and you guys  looked like you were really having a great time with it.  What made you decide to do that one?
Jaime: I wanted to do that one, and Jerry did too! What can I say? We kill it! We have a great band, Erik and Joey just rock the fuck out of it…wake up, Halford!

Blast: The first full-length Warrant DVD is due out soon. Can you tell me a little about it?
Jaime: It’s inspired by AC/DC's DVD; we just wanted to keep record of what we’re doing. It’s a 12 song video record of what we did in 2006. If you’re a fan you will love it! There is some live stuff included, and funny stuff too!

Blast: Warrant recently added a myspace page, which has to be a lot of work, considering the large number of fans. How's that going?
Jaime: I hate it, but that’s because I have to work it! There are so many fans on there, and I like their input, but it's hard to deal with that many people. Hey at least I'm not a plumber, so I won’t complain!

Blast: Let's talk about ‘The Saint’. By the way, who started calling you that? 
Jaime:  I think Tommy Thayer started that nickname, and I call him the Bison

Blast: Answers to the 'early influences' question tend to generate quite a list, but was there any particular band or individual artist who had a major impact on your decision to become a musician?
Jaime: AC DC is by far my biggest influence, and also the Beatles. You put those two together and you've got gold!

Blast: What inspires you to write?
Jaime:  From being hurt and alone, to being happy as hell; roller coaster ride is my life.

Blast: How old were you when you decided that music was it?
Jaime: Four. I saw the Beatles on TV.

Blast: What other bands did you listen to growing up?
Jaime:  Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Kiss, and Queen. How cool is that?

Blast: What new music are you listening to now?
Jaime:  Rob Zombie.

Blast: What are your plans after the tour?
Jaime: I will sleep for 14 days.

Blast: Anything you want to say to the fans?
Jaime:  I love all of you so much, and thank you for giving me this chance to be in Warrant! You rock motherfuckers!

Blast: Thanks for your time, Jaime. Good luck with the rest of the tour!
Interview conducted by Meri Ballou. meri@blastmagazine.net

Current Tour Dates:
3/2/07 Colorado Springs, CO
Union Station
3/3/07 Aurora, CO
Hubba’s
3/16/07 Andover, MN
Pov's
w/ Scarlet Haze
3/17/07 Bloomington, IL
US Cellular Coliseum
w/ Firehouse & LA Guns
3/23/07 Jim Thorpe, PA
Penn's Peak
w/ FireHouse & LA Guns
3/24/07 Asbury Park, NJ
Stone Pony
4/12/07 Dallas, TX
RockHouse Live Grille & Venue
4/13/07 Temple TX
Bloomin' Temple Festival
4/26, 27 & 28/07 Laughlin, NV
Carnivale at the Pioneer Hotel
River Run Bike Week
w/ LA Guns
5/5/07 COEUR D' ALENE, ID
The Grail
6/15/07 Sioux City, IA
Awesome Biker Nights
w/ Firehouse
7/5/07 Detroit Lakes, MN
Lakeside Tavern
w/ Firehouse
8/11/07 Glendive, MT
Dawson County Fair Fairgrounds
8/26/07 & 8/27 Uncasville, CT
The Mohegan Sun Casino