Maroon in music

First, let’s put our hands together for the Maroon 5 for winning the Best Duo or Group Pop for their song Makes Me Wonder, from their second album It Won’t Be Soon Before Long (distributed locally by MCA Music, Inc.), at the just-concluded 2008 Grammy Awards. It’s the newest feather on the cap of the quintet which  was named Best New Artist also by the Grammys in 2005 for their debut album Songs About Jane which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.

With Makes Me Wonder, according to the group’s publicist, “Maroon 5 has once again captured all of the elements that create a universally popular pop-rock song...the song segues from a bass-heavy intro to an infectiously catchy melody that soon belies the sentiment. ‘Give me something to believe in because I don’t believe in you anymore’.” The same song also reflects what Maroon 5 vocalist/guitarist Adam Levine calls “an increasing dissatisfaction with the direction of the world and its leaders,” thus conveying another meaning to an otherwise upbeat breakup song.

Besides Adam, the four other members of Maroon 5 are: James Valentine, guitarist; Mickey Madden, bassist; Jesse Carmichael, keyboardist; and newcomer Matt Flynn, drummer.

Maroon 5 is performing at the Araneta Coliseum on March 5 in a concert produced by Viva Concerts & Events in cooperation with Midas Promotions. Stay tuned, Maroon 5 fans, for it won’t be soon before long and then you can have a rare chance of watching your idols “live,” and be “marooned” in their music for two hours. Ready, get set...

A few days ago, Funfare did an exclusive phone interview with Adam Levine who was calling from L.A. (The STAR was the only Philippine broadsheet that Maroon 5 talked to.)

Funfare: What can we expect from your concert in Manila on March 5?

Adam Levine: It’s going to be our first time in the Philippines. I can hardly wait. I assure you it’s gonna be a lot of fun.

Your new album, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, is described as sexier, stronger and lyrically-darker than Songs About Jane, the first one. Why so?

“I don’t know. I guess...maybe it’s an improvement or an update first  or something. We are happy with the finished product and we’re glad that the label has welcomed new sounds and textures.”

And your group describes it as “different.” Why?

“Well, it’s rooted in what the Maroon 5 has always been — different. We are different from any other group, aren’t we?”

I guess you are. And you also said, “We’re becoming our own band.”

“I think It Won’t Be Soon Before Long will change the perceptions of who we really are. We just want to highlight that. With Songs About Jane, you could pick out our influences pretty easily. But with It Won’t Be Soon, we sound more like what should — Maroon 5.”

Who’s Jane?

“My ex-girlfriend.”

Makes Me Wonder expresses your “increasing dissatisfaction with the direction of the world.” Why do you feel “dissatisfied?”

“I think I’m just, you know, like most everybody in our country questioning what’s going on, where the world is headed to.”

So young and so disillusioned, huh?

“With what’s happening all around us, why shouldn’t I be?”

Were you and James, Mickey, Jesse and Matt friends before you became a group?

“Well, the three of us — James, Mickey and me — were good friends from way back; we were high-school mates in West L.A. We were first together in a band called Kara’s Flowers. It was a wonderful band but our debut album, The Fourth World, was a disappointment, and Kara’s Flowers was released by the label. We went on to college. Mickey went to UCLA, while Jesse and I went to State University of New York. Matt is the new kid on the block.”

An epiphany is said to have happened at the SUNY dorm, right?

“Well, the halls were blasting gospel music and the people were listening to stuff we had never actually listened to, like Biggie Smalls, Missy Elliot and Jay-Z. The Aaliyah record had just come out around then and we were just blown away. And then, the future suddenly looked bright again in a very different light.”

Could you describe your co-members briefly? Let’s start with James...

“...oh, I love the guy. He’s very creative...”

...Mickey...

“...all I can say is that he’s...very different...”

...Jesse...

“...a super-liberal guy...”

...and Matt?

“...moody in a good way; he blends very well with the rest of us.”

What about your influences? Are they diverse? Or do the Maroon 5 guys go for the same kind of music?

“You know, we go for different kinds of music; our tastes in music are very different. James goes for jazz, Mickey for funk-rock, Jesse for pop and Matt for intrumentals. Personally, early on I loved The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Simon & Gurfunkel and other artists I grew up with. The classics, yes. And then I began listening to the music of Stevie Wonder and I developed a singing style different from what you heard on The Fourth World album.”

Does this diversity help enhance your music as a group?

“Oh, I think it does. I’m sure it does!”

I guess since you became a group, you’ve been busy touring and recording. How do you enjoy yourself, how do you spend time away from work?

“I like to go out with friends. I like to exercise.”

By the way, I want to congratulate your group for your commitment to the environment. (The Maroon 5 guys were honored at the 2006 Environmental Media Awards. They have also pledged their time and energy toward Global Cool, a newly-launched initiative to fight global warming by motivating a billion people worldwide to reduce their personal energy use.)

“Oh, thank you! Conserving energy and protecting the environment should be the concern of everybody.”

And come to think of it, why do you call yourselves Maroon 5?

“It’s a secret, my friend!”

Is maroon your favorite color?

“What do you think?”

(Note: The STAR is among the sponsors of Maroon 5 Live in Manila. Tickets are priced at P10,500 for VIP, P7,875 for patron A and B, P5,250 for lower box, P3,938 for upper box A, P2,625 for upoper box B and P1,575 for general admission. For inquiries, call Ticketnet 911-5555. Also, the It Won’t Be Soon Before Long album, released by MCA Music, Inc., features bonus tracks with an acoustic version of the group’s current hit Won’t Go Home Without You and a remix of Wake Up Call, plus a bonus DVD that contains music videos and live performances.)

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