It was a mercilessly catchy song with overt references to oral sex and crystal meth addiction that made Third Eye Blind famous. But the San Francisco group has come a long way since "Semi-Charmed Life" was first released four years ago. The band has shared the stage with both U2 and the Rolling Stones. Their videos have become ubiquitous on MTV. And frontman Stephan Jenkins, 34, can regularly be found in the tabloids alongside actress and close associate Charlize Theron.
Third Eye Blind--which also includes bassist Arion Salazar, drummer Brad Hargreaves, and guitarist Tony Fredianelli (who replaced Kevin Cadogan earlier this year)--is currently touring behind its second album, Blue. While the disc hasn't immediately picked up where the last album left off in terms of sales, Jenkins is hopeful that things will eventually get rolling.
We caught up with the outspoken singer on the band's tour bus en route to Idaho to find out where his head is at these days.
drDrew.com: Does life on the road ever get boring?
SJ: To be honest it's not really that boring. I mean, right now we're watching a video, someone is playing Sega Dreamcast, Arion [Salazar] is writing in his tour diary. I've got my friends in the band, and we've got our inside jokes. We have a pretty dark sense of humor, so it's pretty sick on board the bus.
drDrew.com: Tell me what it's like to be in your position. Is it difficult dealing with all the attention?
SJ: Well, no matter where you are in life at the end of the day, you're left with yourself. I don't think that's anything I've forgotten. I've got enough people around me that if I did
forget that, they would totally crush me. I think it's important to stay humble, always.
drDrew.com: How have you been able to maintain your personal relationships?
SJ: You've got your family and your friends, and that's a difficult thing to do. That's what a song like "Never Let You Go" is about. It's about how we try to maintain friendships when the initial conditions of those relationships change. I think that's something everybody deals with.
drDrew.com: What about your romantic relationships?
SJ: I'm not going to talk about that. I never do.
drDrew.com: Then describe your relationship with your fans. How do you react when they throw themselves at you?
SJ: It's fun. People are horny and music makes them want to fuck. Just to be around that sort of energy is fun. It doesn't mean you have to engage in it.
drDrew.com: Do you feel like journalists have it out for you?
SJ: Certain journalists, yeah.
drDrew.com: What is it about you that inspires that hatred?
SJ: I don't know. I think there's a desire to put me in my place. But I'm not going to be put in my place.
Added: June 10, 2000
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