02.12.2008

Let’s paint the town Maroon!

Congratulations to Noreen Daypuyat & Nicholas Ang for having the courage to showcase their talents & more importantly, for winning two (2) tickets each for the Maroon 5 Concert! Click here to see their videos.

by Rexy Jolly V. Conopio

Years prior to becoming the Maroon 5 we’ve become accustomed with, the group was known as Kara’s Flowers. It was in Los Angeles in 1995, when high school classmates Adam Levine (vocals/guitar), Jesse Carmichael (guitar – at the time), Mickey Madden (bass), and Ryan Dusick (drums) donned a grunge rock outfit. They landed a contract with Reprise Records and released their album The Fourth World, in the middle of 1997. Nevertheless, after a disappointing run with their debut, the band parted ways with the record company two years later.

The boys went to college – leaving Madden and Dusick behind to study at UCLA, while Levine and Carmichael went across the country to pursue their degrees at the State University of New York. This interim period spelled major transformations for them and paved the way for their new sound. “People (in New York) would be listening to stuff that we’d never actually listened to, like Biggie Smalls, Missy Elliot, and Jay-Z. And we were just blown away. (Before), when I think of songwriting, I think of The Beatles, Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, the stuff that I grew up on, but then I was like, ‘I want to do this.’ Stevie Wonder came into my life at that point,” the 28-year-old frontman explains. He furthers, “I was exposed to an urban and hip-hop culture in a way that had never happened to me in LA. It turned me on to an entirely new genre of music, which has had a profound impact on my songwriting. I started singing differently and Jesse started playing keyboards; that’s what changed it.” (Levine used to sing with a deeper ‘grunge’ voice as opposed to the high-pitched vocals he is known for now.)

All four reunited and polished their music once more by adding an RnB flavor and neo-soul feel to their explosive rock ‘n roll. With this came a new name, Maroon 5, and a fifth member to fill the void Carmichael left: guitarist James Valentine. “James came along right as we were deciding on the name. We clearly weren't Kara's Flowers anymore, with the addition of James and an entirely new approach to music,” Levine simply explains.

Armed with a new attitude, a new style, and a new identity, Maroon 5 instantly attracted attention from labels. Octone Records, an independent record company, signed the group, and in 2001, through the help of record producer Matt Wallace, the quintet entered the studio to try and have another shot at prominence in the music industry.

Thanks to Jane!

Songs About Jane was released in June 2002. Most of the material on this record was directly inspired by Levine’s tumultuous relationship with his ex-girlfriend, who we all seem to know pretty well by now: “We were breaking up as the band entered the studio,” he shares. “After compiling a song list, we decided to name the album ‘Songs About Jane’ because it felt like the most honest statement we could make with the title.”

The group’s first CD did not become an immediate hit and received lukewarm response. In fact, the very first single Harder To Breathe only became a radio staple 17 months after its release. This gradually prompted familiarity of the band and ultimately spawned the chart-topping songs This Love (which was the first song ever to be certified as a platinum download), She Will Be Loved, and Sunday Morning. Proving that they have become both a commercial and critical success, Maroon 5 got nominated and went on to win the Best New Artist plum at the 2005 Grammy Awards. The next year, they bagged the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group honor for This Love.

To live up to the hype and their gained esteem, the multi-platinum act was constantly on tour with a whole lot of other artists. The frantic schedule and nonstop playing injured the arms of Dusick. He underwent tests and was temporarily substituted by Matt Flynn. However, several months after, the band's original drummer announced that he was leaving the group for good. In September 2006, Flynn replaced Dusick permanently.

The long wait is over!

After almost five years, Maroon 5 released their second studio album It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, inspired by a phrase the band adopted to keep themselves motivated while on their tour. Their latest effort parades an electric sound and feel. It draws inspiration from iconic 80’s artists such as the Talking Heads, Prince, and Michael Jackson. Still according to Levine, the new record is a little more self-confident and lyrically powerful: “The tracks are sexier and stronger. You can dance to it, and there’s a little more attitude.”

Breaking the sophomore slump debacle in such a bold and record-setting fashion, Maroon 5’s follow-up CD debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 429,484 copies on its first week. Furthermore, the first released track Makes Me Wonder, debuted at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March. On the first week of May, the single skyrocketed from the 64th position to number one – the biggest jump in Billboard history! It also achieved number one status on Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs, Pop 100, and Hot Dance Club 100. Wake Up Call and Won’t Go Home Without You have now become fan favorites, as well.

Getting the nod of music connoisseurs yet again, the group got hold of its third golden statuette from the Recording Academy, after the song Makes Me Wonder was adjudged Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in the recently-concluded 2008 Grammy Awards. Their CD It Won’t Be Soon Before Long was likewise nominated in the Best Pop Vocal Album category.

The Philippines gets Marooned!

Currently promoting their newest single Goodnight, Goodnight, off of their latest offer, Maroon 5 has begun their It Won’t Be Soon Before Long world tour. Mark your calendars, Maroon 5 aficionados! On March 5, Levine, Carmichael, Madden, Valentine, and Flynn are all coming over for the Philippine leg of their tour.

Want tickets to the Maroon 5 concert? You can even have two of 'em! Find out how!
 

TAGS: maroon 5 maroon maroon 5 concert It Won't Be Soon Before Long

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