STEPHAN JENKINS

STEPHAN DOUGLAS JENKINS
(PRONOUNCED STEVEN)
D.O.B. ~ SEPTEMBER 27, 1964

READ ON FOR HIS OFFICIAL BIO FROM 3EB.COM:

LEAD SINGER AND GUITARIST FOR THIRD EYE BLIND, STEPHAN JENKINS, STARTED HIS MUSICAL CAREER EARLY IN LIFE. HE RECALLS BANGING OUT ORIGINAL WORKS AT THE AGE OF FIVE, PULLING OUT POTS AND PANS ON THE FLOOR OF HIS KITCHEN AT HOME IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. STEPHAN GOT HIS FIRST DRUM SET WHEN HE WAS NINE AND ALTERNATED BETWEEN ENVISIONING A FUTURE AS A ROCK STAR AND AS A MARINE BIOLOGIST. STEPHAN TRIED THE TRUMPET AS A CHILD, BUT REPORTEDLY HAD TROUBLE READING THE NOTES. "EVERYBODY SAID I WAS PRETTY MUCH UNTEACHABLE," STEPHAN EXPLAINS IN REFERENCE TO HIS SCHOOL BAND EXPERIENCES.

STEPHAN HAS PROBABLY SURPRISED A LOT OF TEACHERS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THE INCREDIBLE SUCCESS OF THIRD EYE BLIND'S DEBUT ALBUM. JENKINS CREATES SONGS THAT ARE HEARTFELT AND INTENSE. THE SONGS TELL STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BOTH FLAWED AND RADIANT, OF MAKING SENSE OF THE FATES LIFE HANDS YOU. "I WANTED TO BE A STORYTELLER," SAYS JENKINS. "I SEE MUSIC AND DRAMA AND WRITING AND POETRY AS ALL BEING CONNECTED TO THE SAME IDEA, WHICH IS STORYTELLING. MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE THING THAT COMPELLED ME THE MOST. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT A FOUR-MINUTE SONG THAT CREATES THIS COMPLETE WORLD YOU CAN STEP INTO."

STEPHAN CITES THE ENERGY OF THE CITY AS AN INSPIRATION THAT SPARKS HIS CREATIVITY. "I'M A REAL CHILD OF THE CONCRETE," HE STATES. "I LIKE URBAN ENVIRONMENTS. I'M INSPIRED BY ALL THE DIFFERENT LIVES AND STRATA THAT GO ON THERE." HE ALSO CREDITS THE INSTRUMENTS THEMSELVES AND THE TIME SPENT JUST "MESSING AROUND" WITH KEYBOARDS, DRUMS, AND GUITAR AS FUEL FOR HIS ART. FOR STEPHAN, THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE NEW RECORD HAS BEEN VERY EXPLORATORY. "WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO CREATE OUR OWN SORT OF WORLD," SAYS JENKINS ABOUT THIRD EYE BLIND. "THE ETHIC OF THAT WAS TO ALWAYS DO IT YOURSELF. THINK FOR YOURSELF." THIS SENSE OF ORIGINALITY AND INDEPENDENCE IS ONE KEY THAT DRIVES THE CREATIVE SPIRIT OF THE BAND.

AFTER TWO YEARS OF TOURING AND A RIGOROUS SCHEDULE OF WORK ON THE NEW RECORD, STEPHAN IS EXCITED TO SHARE THE SOON-TO-BE-RELEASED ALBUM WITH FANS. HE IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE NEW MATERIAL, BUT HOPES TO AVOID THE MASS PUBLICITY OF ONE OR TWO HITS ALONE. "I'M VERY PROUD OF THE SONGS THAT WERE ON THE RADIO, BUT I THINK THAT WHAT THIRD EYE BLIND IS ABOUT TO ITS CORE AUDIENCE WASN'T REALLY REPRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE." FANS ARE IMPORTANT TO STEPHAN AND HE IS IMPRESSED BY THE CREATIVITY OF THE ACTIVE WEB CULTURE THAT SURROUNDS THIRD EYE BLIND. "THE WEB ALLOWS A CLOSENESS THAT'S NOT FILTERED BETWEEN ME AND THE MEDIA. IT'S MUCH MORE DIRECT. I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I REALLY RESPECT THAT."