MTV has a new interview with Jackson about Jasper’s backstory and the Volturi, along with a few comments on the Volturi from the cast.

MTV: Out of the new characters joining the franchise for “New Moon,” which is your favorite?

Jackson Rathbone: My favorite character in “New Moon” that wasn’t in “Twilight”? I guess my favorite character in “New Moon” is a collective — the Volturi. It’s one of those things that’s really nice to see, these decadent older vampires that run this vampire society, if you will. I think they’re an amazing group of actors that we were able to get for the film, and they are very scary and intimidating. They’re all perfect — I mean, Dakota Fanning is a terrifying Jane; absolutely terrifying.

MTV: As the “Saga” moves along, do you feel more or less like your character?

Rathbone: More or less like Jasper? You know, I honestly think, it’s more of a Jasper I imagined coming into the first “Twilight.” Mainly because I’m able to show my backstory in “Eclipse,” where people get to see what really drives Jasper in “Twilight,” which you don’t really understand. This character, he’s always in pain, and [people ask], “Why?” and, “What is his reasoning?” He’s had a really dark past, and it follows him around. So, it was really nice to be able to get into those moments, so that explains and informs the way I’ve been performing through “Twilight” and “New Moon.”

See the entire interview HERE.

“New Moon cast descends on Nashville. Jackson Ratbhone hosts music festival with friends and fans”

“As if it wasn’t enough to have the biggest movie of the year hitting theaters next month, New Moon star, Jackson Rathbone, is adding a music festival to his to do list. Rathbone and some of his fellow cast members will be hosting the NewCon Festival in Nashville, Tennessee from November 6th through the 8th.

Jackson’s band, 100 Monkeys, will be headlining the festival. The weekend includes Twilight and New Moon inspired art competitions as well as poetry and fan fiction contests. 100 Monkeys will also be part of an open jam session on Saturday, November 7th. Anyone attending the festival can bring their instrument to jam with the band for two hours.

The band will pick one lucky fan to join them on stage Saturday night during their concert at The Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville.

Award winning artist, Kelly Garrett Rathbone, (Jackson’s sister) will be one of the judges at the art competition and a panelist during the Q&A sessions over the weekend. She currently has pieces on exhibit in galleries nationwide.

NewCon’s goal is to inspire people to get more involved in the arts. The winners of the writing and art contests will get a private meet & greet with all attending cast members and have their winning pieces signed by them as well. “We wanted to do something different that inspires people to get off their couch and create something,” said Rathbone.

100 Monkeys will also host a ‘design your own t-shirt’ contest during the festival. The winning shirt will actually get printed as a limited edition and sold on the band’s website, with all of the money going to the Spencer Bell Legacy Project. Spencer was a dear friend of Jackson and his band mates who lost his battle with adrenal cancer in 2006.
www.SpencerBellMemorial.com

The weekend promises to be anything but ordinary. More cast members and bands will be announced every week leading up to the event. To make sure everyone has time to fully enjoy the festival, there are only 400 tickets
available. The Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center is the host hotel for the festival.

For more information about the festival, visit www.NewCon2009.com. For more information about Jackson Rathbone and his band 100 Monkeys, visit www.100MonkeysMusic.com.”

“I got to go back into my old roots, got to ride some horses again, which was nice. Got to put these riding boots to use, which is good,” Rathbone said, motioning to his boots. “I actually can ride a horse.”

In “Eclipse,” Jasper tells Bella (Kristen Stewart) about his life before he met Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli). Unlike Edward (Robert Pattinson), Rosalie (Nikki Reed), Esme (Elizabeth Reaser) and Emmett (Kellan Lutz), both Jasper and Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene) were transformed into vampires before they met Carlisle. Jasper plays a large role in the third installment of the series because he is the only vampire among them who knows how to combat the newborn vampire army Victoria (now played by Bryce Dallas Howard) is building.

Jasper’s backstory, which takes place during the Civil War, will be told through flashbacks, Rathbone confirmed. Though the explanation of Jasper’s history takes up a good portion of the novel, he hinted that the film version would be shorter.

“It was just really fantastic to get to delve in there and to get to don all the Civil War regalia and whatnot. That was a pleasure,” he said. “I had to wear this wool suit of a major, cavalry major. “I got the big hat and everything. Hop off the horse, bow to these ladies, and then I get eaten. And then I get turned!”

MTV talked to Jackson Rathbone and his band 100 Monkeys, and Jackson says that the band will be submitting songs for the Eclipse ST.

But as many Twi-hards know, Pattinson isn’t the only star from the saga with musical talent. Fellow vampire Jackson Rathbone has a band as well, 100 Monkeys, who were recently announced to be creating the soundtrack for his indie film “Girlfriend.” Not to be outdone by Pattinson, Rathbone shared with us that his group would also submit songs for potential inclusion on the “Eclipse” soundtrack.

“It’s been talked about, but it’s one of those things,” Rathbone said when asked if he had been approached to have songs on the previous soundtracks. “We’re going to be kind of giving some of our songs off of our upcoming album for them to see if they want to put on ‘Eclipse.’ ”

Earlier this year, Rathbone talked with MTV about having a song on the “New Moon” soundtrack.

“We’d love it,” Rathbone said. “[But] we’re not really pushing for it. It’s one of those things where if they want to put our song on the album, I’m not going to complain.”

Read entire article HERE.

So funny. xD

Jackson Rathbone called in a Vancouver radio station where he talked about the Twilight films, fight training for Eclipse, and more.