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THE GIRL NEXT DOOR:
Saving Jane’s Marti Dodson

By Traci Grant

Imagine this: one day you’re hanging out at a “camp fire party,” and the next you’ve found one of your band mates. It was just the first step to success for Marti Dodson. These days, Marti and her band, which is made up of Pat Buzzard, Dak Goodman, Jeremy Martin, Joe Cochran, and Brandon Hagan are better know by the name Saving Jane, a Billboard Hot 100 charting group, “It feels amazing,” Marti says. “[When the song comes on,] you have to double check and make sure you’re not listening to your CD.” It’s no surprise that Saving Jane has found such success on the radio.

Their hit song, “Girl Next Door,” has become something of an anthem for girls across the country who aren’t perfect cheerleader types. According to Marti, “The girl next door in the song is me, [it's] every girl.” With its catchy tune and right to the heart lyrics, Marti Dodson has proved herself as an established songwriter. Country singer Julie Roberts even featured a version of the song on her new album. “It was a surprise initially, [but] I realized that it’s my message,” Marti explains. So how does she come up with the words to express this message? “It differs on different songs. I’ll come up with lyrics and a melody.”

If you’ve never heard Saving Jane’s music before, perhaps Marti can help you out in defining the sound of her melodies. “The sound is pop rock. People tend to want to draw comparisons to Alanis Morissette or Sheryl Crow.” Marti also informed us on the status of the band. “[The next single] is “Come Down to Me, it’s a ballad. We are [also] excited to start recording the second album.”

Clearly, music plays a massive part in Marti Dodson’s life. But she still finds time for other activities. “I read all the time. I shop like a fiend.” However, when it’s time to get back to the music side of her life, “I am obsessed with Heart and Soul by T’Pau. My all time favorite [musician] is Steven Tyler,” who, believe it or not, she actually met, before Saving Jane. Hopefully one day, Saving Jane will acquire the kind of fame legends are made of, but for now, “We get recognized, [but] we haven’t been a huge presence on TV yet. It’s just strange. It’s definitely less glamorous.” A common misconception about Saving Jane is, “that we’re all rich. People want to know what kind of car I drive,” laughs Marti.

Right now, it may be a tour bus. Currently on tour, the band does have an occasional few weeks off, but Marti says, “My favorite part is being on stage.” However, she is also center stage. Even though she’s part of a group, Marti Dodson is the face of Saving Jane. Cause a problem? “It doesn’t. We have so much fun together. We’re a family. We have our little quarrels, but we set out in the beginning knowing [it would be that way].”

Something Marti didn’t know in the beginning is just how much her songs could make a difference. Between confessing that she doesn’t keep up with her Myspace as much as she used to, Marti told a story about a girl who emailed her through the friend-linking site. The girl told Marti that she was miserable and contemplating suicide. Then the song “Girl Next Door” came on and she felt like she wasn’t the only one. Marti calls this, “The craziest thing that’s happened,” but explains how truly touched she was. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Marti Dodson is many things: a singer, a songwriter, a shopping addict, a success; but what she’s not, is one to let it go to her head. Because of this, she is the ultimate musical role model. “The most important thing that I tell people is to be tough.” It’s this attitude that has led to Saving Jane’s success with the album, also titled “Girl Next Door.” Hey, speaking of the album, go out and buy it because, “It’s totally awesome. I’m just proud of it,” Marti concludes. So, just the girl next door? You be the judge.

All quotes in this artircle were given in an interview with TheStarScoop.Com