Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band that originated in Los Angeles, California. The group formed in 1994 as Kara's Flowers while its members were still in high school. With a line-up of Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden and Ryan Dusick, they signed to Reprise Records and released an album, The Fourth World, in 1997. After a tepid response to the album, the band parted ways with its record label, and its members attended college. In 2001, the band regrouped, adding James Valentine to the lineup, and pursued a new direction under the name Maroon 5. read more