Did You Know...

The guys have been friends since middle school. They began as a band named Kara's Flowers right out of high school and played shows in LA, beginning in 1995 with a debut at The Whiskey. As Kara's Flowers, the band gained some renown and released an album in 1997 titled The Fourth World. They began building a fan base when they toured with Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger.

Maroon 5 struck out on the road they are on today when they left their previous record label, Reprise Records, in 1999 due to a new, more blues-influenced style that band leader Adam Levine had picked up, and they continued with their experimentation using R&B and funk in their rock music under the name Maroon 5. The band eventually signed with Octone Records and established themselves in the alternative rock genre. They finally released their first album under their new name in 2002.

The album was recorded with famous mixer/producer Matt Wallace at Rumbo Recorders, where other famous artists like Guns N' Roses had cut records. The album, Songs About Jane, was not very well received at its release, but it continued to grow in popularity. It went from #120 on the Billboard charts to #11 in only a few months. The album started selling a measly 600 copies its first week, and within 6 months, it was selling 16,000 a week. Songs About Jane finally made it Platinum in 2004. In 2003, Maroon 5 made #34 on the ARC Weekly's Top Singles Artist of the Year list, beating out their touring buddy Sheryl Crow. The first track on the album, 'Harder to Breathe', got its fair share of air time and introduced Maroon 5's beats to the pop crowd, winning over many new fans. Also in 2004, the single 'This Love' made the top 10 list in the US.