The members of Armor for Sleep had a quiet beginning in New Jersey.

“I was in a band in high school for a long time playing drums,” said lead man Ben Jorgenson (vocals/guitar). “Towards the end of the bands cycle, I started to write my own songs [and] a lot of the band’s songs. Instead of playing drums, I wanted to actually sing and play guitar for them. I quit the band after high school and started to Armor for Sleep [with a few friends].” These friends are P.J. DeCicco (guitar), Anthony Dilonno (bass) and Nash Breen (drums).

Jorgensen created a unique name for the band that eluded any specific meaning.

“It was just one of those things that I wanted it to be ambiguous and to be open-ended,” Jorgensen said. “I’ve never really had a singular answer [to questions about its meaning].”

Despite being in the seemingly one-ended screamo genre, the guys from Armor for Sleep are inspired by an eclectic collection of rock.

“We listen to so much music,” Jorgensen said. “Everybody brings their influences to the table. For me, it is Radiohead, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails and Jimmy Eat World . We’re definitely a song-oriented band. We try to have good songs with good melodies about interesting things that people want to listen to.”

After the release of the band’s third album, Smile for Them (Sire Records, Oct. 30, 2007), Armor for Sleep will be touring on the Bamboozle Roadshow 2008 beginning March 28 in Seattle, Wash. When cross-country roadtripping, the members of the band like to keep free-time activities simple.

“I like to read,” Jorgensen said. “We like to watch movies together. Play video games, pretty much anything to keep us occupied . When we do go home, we realize that we need to take advantage of the time spent with our family and friends. Family is definitely really important to the band.”

The Bamboozle Roadshow tours more than 30 cities, but will miss St. Louis. The closest stop to see Armor for Sleep is in Chicago, Ill., at the House of Blues on April 25. For more information, go to armorforsleep.com.