Jackson Rathbone to Hit the Road With His Band

Jackson Rathbone is set to embark on a world-wide tour with his independent funk band 100 Monkeys.

The star shot to fame as vampire Jasper in the hit movie franchise, but Rathbone is turning his attention towards his passion for music as he prepares to head off with the Los Angeles-based group for its very first international tour later this year (11).

He tells MTV News, "The thing we do with 100 Monkeys is we play with our audience. It's just a fun time.

"They came out to see us and we came there to see them. That's what makes us a great live band. We love playing".

And although Rathbone admits touring with his four best friends makes for a fun time, it's not the most glamorous "We are on a red, smelly bus.

"It wasn't as smelly before we got on, but it definitely had some residue. It's actually from the 1992 Metallica tour; it's got a little Metallicavibe to it".

Rathbone and his bandmates will perform a number of shows throughout the U.S. this summer (11) before heading overseas to kickstart their European leg on 28 November (11) in Stockholm, Sweden.

But Rathbone will be back on the big screen at the end of the year as he is set to reprise the role of Jasper in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1.