Early Days and Formation of Kara's Flowers:
Future Maroon 5 members Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden and Ryan Dusick all went to high school together in west Los Angeles. They put together a band called Kara's Flowers and played their first public show at the legendary Whisky a Go Go in 1995. Their grunge style caught the attention of Reprise Records, and, despite production from Green Day producer Rob Cavallo, the album The Fourth World was a commercial flop. All 4 members headed to various colleges across the country.
Evolution Into Maroon 5:
Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael headed to the State University of New York. There the pair were exposed to a wider range of music, particularly r&b and hip-hop. Upon returning to Los Angeles, they re-connected with the other former group members, added guitarist James Valentine, and selected a new group name, Maroon 5. The band quickly generated label interest and signed with the independent Octone Records who had a distribution deal with BMG.
Maroon 5 Members:
- Adam Levine - Vocals and Guitar
- James Valentine - Guitar
- Jesse Carmichael - Keyboards
- Mickey Madden - Bass
- Matt Flynn - Drums
Songs About Jane:
Maroon 5 headed into the studio with Matt Wallace, veteran of work with the Replacements and Faith No More, producing. The result was the album Songs About Jane first released in June, 2002. A great deal of the music on the album was inspired by Adam Levine's rough relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Jane. The album was not an instant commercial success, but constant touring generated eventual radio support. Songs About Jane peaked at #6 on the album chart in August, 2004, over 2 years after initial release.
Maroon 5 Videos:
Maroon 5's videos for the top 10 hits "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved" generated a bit of controversy due to their erotic content. "This Love" was briefly banned by MTV.
Watch "This Love":
Watch "She Will Be Loved":
Awards and Recognition for Maroon 5:
Songs About Jane ultimately sold over 4,000,000 copies in the US and over 8,000,000 worldwide. The singles "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved" both reached the pop top 10.
In early 2005 Maroon 5 took home the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. They followed this with a 2006 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal for a live recording of "This Love."
Quote From Maroon 5 Member Adam Levine:
Referring to his college experience, quoted from the Maroon 5 official site:
"The halls were blasting gospel music and people were listening to stuff we'd never actually listened to, like Biggie Smalls, Missy Elliot and Jay-Z. The Aaliyah record had come out around then, and we were just blown away."
It Won't Be Soon Before Long:
The much-awaited second album by Maroon 5, titled It Won't Be Soon Before Long, is scheduled to be released May 22, 2007. It will feature new drummer Matt Flynn who replaced founding member Ryan Dusick in September, 2006. The band says that it is "sexier, stronger," and "lyrically darker" than Songs About Jane. The first single is "Makes Me Wonder."
