A fitting musical description for the Los Angeles, California, USA-based quintet, Maroon 5, could be funky pop aimed directly at the mainstream market. The band's roots lay in an earlier group, Kara's Flowers, comprised of eventual Maroon 5 participants Adam Levine (born 18 March 1979, Los Angeles, California, USA; vocals/guitar), Jesse Carmichael (b.
2 April 1979, Boulder, Colorado, USA; keyboards), Mickey Madden (b. Michael Madden, 13 May 1979, Austin, Texas, USA; bass), and Ryan Dusick (b. 19 September 1977, Los Angeles, California, USA; drums). Formed while its members were still students in high school, the band signed with Reprise Records, that resulted in the release of their debut, Fourth World, in 1997.
Although produced by renowned hitmaker Rob Cavallo, the album flopped, which resulted in the band's split soon after being dropped by their label. Instead of immediately forming a new band, the former bandmates enlisted into college, Dusick and Madden staying local at UCLA, while Levine and Carmichael relocating to the east coast, to attend the State University of New York.
It was while in New York that Levine and Carmichael began to take notice of the urban music sounds that would emerge from neighbouring dorm rooms, and let the style seep into the songs they soon began to write. Moving back to their home state, all four former Kara's Flowers members reunited, along with newcomer James Valentine (b.
5 October 1978, Lincoln, Nebraska, ...