Maroon 5

by Mark Sergi

I recently had the chance to talk with front man Adam Levine of Maroon 5. They participated in this summer’s Jeep World Outside Festival, and their CD “Songs About Jane” was released last June. This So-Cal band plays with a charismatic versatility that blends and mixes their alternative roots with elements of R&B and soul. We discussed how the band has evolved and persevered into the band that it is today, and what we can expect from them in the future.

RAD-: All right, lets get this started. Who is Jane?
Adam-: Well, she is

RAD-: Just kidding. I know you get that all the time (she is his ex).
Adam-: Yea, all of us except for James. He joined the band a year and a half ago.

RAD-: So where are you from?
Adam-: We’re all from L.A.; except James he is from Nebraska. He is Nebraska to the bone.

RAD-: You guys started out as Kara’s Flowers, what is the story behind the name?
Adam-: That was another story about a girl. When were freshmen we were all fondling over this girl; we all brought her flowers on her birthday; and started the band that night. We thought it was an appropriate name for the band.

RAD-: Why the change to Maroon 5?
Adam-: We changed it about two years ago, just because the band was changing; and we were evolving a lot as a band.

RAD-: A lot of your lyrics have to do with devastation and heartbreak in relationships. Why do you write about this?
Adam-
I think pain is the best feeling for song writing. You can write good happy songs, but I think the kind of bruiting, depressing ones are more effective. They are easier to write when I am impassioned and angry. It is a good way to channel that negative energy.


RAD-: Are all of your songs about Jane as the title suggests?
Adam-: Umm…they are not all about Jane. Some are specifically about her. Some of them have her in mind. They are not all directly about her, but there might be a lyric or phrase that is there for her. The record should have been called “Most of These Songs are About Jane”.
RAD-: Are you currently in a relationship?
Adam-: Nope, I am a single man (contrary to reports that he was dating actress Natalie Portman).
RAD-: Were you guys close friends before becoming a band?
Adam-: We all kind of knew of each other. I wasn’t really friends with Ryan because he was older. He was the cool drummer guy. When the band started we developed really close friendships, which is really cool.
RAD-: When did your band start to gain popularity?
Adam-: We all kind of knew of each other. I wasn’t really friends with Ryan because he was older. He was the cool drummer guy. When the band started we developed really close friendships, which is really cool.

RAD-: When did your band start to gain popularity?
Adam-: At really young ages, when we were fifteen or sixteen were playing at “The Whiskey” and “The Roxy”, and bringing in big crowds.
RAD-: Was it difficult to stay together after High School?
Adam-: Yea it was. I think we went through the same thing everyone does. It’s like you don’t know what you are going to do with your life, even though you seem to be on a path. We put out a record and it didn’t do very well. So we got kind of discouraged and we didn’t know if we would stay together. There was a lot of indecision; but we knew we were a good band so we decided to stick it out.
RAD-: So did the band ever separate?
Adam-: Jesse and I went out East for six months. We studied music and kind of chilled; and did some demos and all that stuff. We came out of it with a fresh perspective. That is what really helped the band stay together- taking that time off..
RAD-: When you were out East you picked up on different styles of music. On your web site it lists Weezer and Nada Surf as your major influences.
Adam-: Yea, that’s kind of weird.

RAD-: In what ways did your experience out East change your music?
Adam-: Well, we were staying in a predominately black dormitory, and we were the minority. It was such a different community. We would wake up in the morning and there would be gospel blasting; and hip-hop; and stuff that we had really never been exposed to. I really fell in love with it.
RAD-: Any particular artist who really affected you?
Adam-: I remember when I heard “Hard Knock Life” from Jay Z; I was like “damn” that is revolutionary shit. I had never heard anything like it before. I also started listening to Lauren Hill, Wyclef, and Stevie Wonder. I was like I can sing like that; I really started to love soul music.
RAD-: The tour you are on (Jeep World Outside) has some great artists and big names on the bill. What have you learned from this experience?
Adam-: That obviously we are low on the totem pole. It is real inspiring because we want to get to that level.
RAD-: And lastly, what does Maroon 5 have planned to follow up this tour?
Adam-: We’re not really sure. Probably hit the club scene up a little bit- up and down the West Coast. We really want to play for everyone because I think our music is really universal.