Maroon 5

Maroon 5

Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, United States. The group begins in 1994 as Kara's Flowers, formed while the members are still in high school. The original line-up includes Adam Levine on lead vocals and guitar, Jesse Carmichael on guitar and backing vocals, Mickey Madden on bass guitar, and Ryan Dusick on drums.

Early years as Kara's Flowers

As Kara's Flowers, the band signs to Reprise Records and releases The Fourth World in 1997. After the album gets a poor response, the band leaves the label and the members attend college. Dusick and Madden stay near UCLA, while Levine and Carmichael move to the east coast to attend Five Towns College. While in New York, Levine and Carmichael begin to absorb the urban music around them, and that influence later shapes the songs they write.

Reformation and Maroon 5

In 2001, the band regroups under the name Maroon 5, with guitarist James Valentine added to the line-up. Jesse Carmichael switches to keyboards, which becomes his main instrument in the band, although he continues to play rhythm guitar. The group signs to Octone Records and releases its debut album, Songs About Jane, in 2002. The single "Harder to Breathe" receives heavy airplay and helps the album reach number six on the Billboard 200.

Commercial success and line-up changes

Maroon 5 wins the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2005. The band tours widely in support of Songs About Jane and releases two live recordings: 1.22.03.Acoustic in 2004 and Live Friday the 13th in 2005. In 2006, Ryan Dusick leaves the band after serious wrist and shoulder injuries and is replaced by Matt Flynn.

The second album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long, appears in 2007 and reaches number one on the US Billboard 200. Its lead single, "Makes Me Wonder", becomes the band's first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. The band later releases Hands All Over in 2010, which is re-released in 2011 with "Moves like Jagger" featuring Christina Aguilera. That song reaches number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Overexposed follows in 2012, and its singles perform strongly on the charts, including "One More Night", which also reaches number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Later releases and membership

Keyboardist and backing vocalist PJ Morton becomes an official member in 2012, giving the band its first six-member official line-up. Maroon 5 signs with Interscope Records in 2014 and releases its fifth studio album, V, which debuts at the top of the Billboard 200. The group is active from 2001 to the present and includes Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, James Valentine, Matt Flynn, PJ Morton, and Sam Farrar.

The band is associated with pop rock, alternative rock, dance, dance-pop, electropop, funk rock, and grunge, and it is based in Los Angeles, United States.