ARTIST

Smashmouth

San Jose, California (just south of San Francisco, for the geographically challenged) has never been known as exactly a musical "hotbed," or really much else except a hometown for those in the computer industry. And this was the problem for four young San Jose natives who had grown up blasting Van Halen and The Clash in their bedrooms. What to do? Well, create your own scene, of course -- and if you form a band that gets signed to a major label and spawns several hit songs, all the better.

Smash Mouth vocalist-to-be Steve Harwell was contemplating what to do with his musical proclivities when his former band, a rap group called F.O.C., fell apart circa 1994. Just for fun, he decided to hang out and make some noise with old buddy and drummer Kevin Coleman (with whom, incidentally,...
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