I was able to get an interview with one of my all time favorite bands, a band that has gone through a lot, including three name changes; they were originally called Kara's Flowers, changing to Maroon after about seven years together, at which time they also added another member, and then changing again to Maroon5 just recently. Jesse Carmichael, who plays keyboard/piano for the band (and used to play guitar), was cool enough to fill out an email interview I sent him, and answer some questions all KF/Maroon fans have been eager to know.

interviewed by Lee Meredith, March 23, 2002

When did you first form your original band, Kara's Flowers?
We started the band in 1994. Adam, Mickey and I were in 9th grade... Ryan was in 11th.

What kind of sound did you guys have at first? When and why did you start to change your style as a band?
Initially, we were very influenced by Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Tool and Rage Against the Machine; although, we always had the influence from artists like the Beatles and Paul Simon. We would go through pockets of inspiration because we were listening heavily to a particular group, and as our tastes grew we found more and more people we could benefit from.

What musicians/bands influenced you in your musical developments?
I have been particularly influenced by jazz players and composers such as Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, Horace Silver... the list of inspirational people from all periods of jazz is just too large. But anyone interested in passionate musicians should check them out, along with Bill Evans (a great piano player). I think that jazz along with Bach plus Stravinsky, and the romantic period composers like Debussy combined with legends like the Police, the Beatles, and Stevie Wonder mixed with contempory geniuses like Timbeland and the Roots have all influenced our band's music.

What was it like to add a band member after having been playing together with the original members for so long?
He fits in so well with us musically and personally that it feels like James has always been in our band.

How did the addition of James on guitar change the musical style of the band as a whole?
It allowed us to incorporate more keyboards certainly. Which I'm happy about. It also just gives us more room to grow in the future.

How does your song writing process work?
Adam and I both write chord progressions and riffs. And then he writes the melody and lyrics. We're a very communal band as far as the arrangement of the song is concerned. And sometimes a musical part alone won't inspire Adam until Ryan puts a certain beat to it... that's what happened with "Secret", and "Sunday Morning".

Why do you feel it was necessary to change the band's name from Kara's Flowers to Maroon?
Cars and Flowers. Carlos's Flowers. Carlos's Floors. Even just the mispronunciation of Kara as CARE-a. It was just no fun telling anyone our band name. Plus, our music had changed a lot. Plus, we wanted to start over fresh with James.

How did you decide on the name Maroon?
It seems to sum up a vibe about our band. Also, spelled backwards, it's nooraM. That was important to us.

How do you feel about the indie music scene, and about the Southern California scene specifically?
I think that The Mars Volta rocks. And I'm also really rooting for Phantom Planet right now. I love playing for kids that really care about music. And that's the vibe I get from our message board.

I know that you have been touring with some "pop stars," musicians played on mainstream radio and mtv, how do you feel about this and about the way some of your fans are reacting to it?
I try to focus on the positive aspects of any situation. When we're playing for a crowd of people who are being receptive to our music, there are far more positive aspects than negative. So for us, we've loved all the shows so far. The Michelle Branch and Nikka Costa tours were both amazing for so many reasons. Playing in front of different types of audiences has been really helped us find our ideal middle path. The bottom line is, playing shows for people is a good thing. And I don't want anyone to be afraid that we're going to lose our love for music because of who we're playing with. We are all about the Love. We're reaching out to everyone, and everyone is deeply welcome to reach back.

Can you tell us a bit about the album you have just finished recording; what do you like about its style and the way it turned out?
Songs About Jane is a perfect representation of what our band is all about. At first we recorded a lot of the songs in a very urban, R&B style... but once we were done with the record, we decided to go back and add more live drum takes with more fills and more guitars. But the recording process was magical, and when something feels magical while it's being recorded, the potential is there for someone to feel that it's magical while they're listening to it.

Many of the songs on the album were written long before you even signed with a record label and have been previously recorded as demos. How do you feel these songs have changed/improved by going through this long process before being recorded for the album?
It was really important to have the time to step back from the songs and see what they needed in terms of additional parts ("Add a Bridge" was our secret weapon).

How do you think your album is going to fit into the music scene?
I think it's going to sweep the nation. Either slowly but surely, or like wildfire.

What is the meaning behind the album's title, "Songs About Jane"?
The 12 songs on the album are all about a different aspect of a relationship between two lovers. And those aspects are pretty universally inherent to relationships between lovers. So, Jane can be whoever you want her to be. She's flexible. (She also happens to be Adam's Ex-girlfriend).

How do you like the label you signed with, Octone Records, after years of searching for the perfect one?
We were the first band that Octone ever signed, so it's been nice having the security of knowing that we are just as important to the label as they are to us. They also really care about our band. We're in good hands.

I know that you wrote several songs from your demos with Adam. Have you written any other songs for the band, or do you plan to?
I'm always writing music. And I'll write a song every now and then when it feels natural and real.

What are some bands you have been listening to lately? Any awesome new bands you would recommend to us?
Well I would definitely recommend Nikka Costa. These days I'm listening to Bjork's last album, Tortoise's album "Standards"... which is such exciting music, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, System of a Down, I try and listen to a lot of everything. Mickey is one of the best sources for music, so I'll get him online to recommend some bands. Check out Rooney, they're up and coming for sure.

Would you ever play any of your Kara's Flowers songs, like the ones off Stagg Street, just for old time's sake?
I want everyone to keep hope alive.

website: www.maroon5.com