GRAMMY® Campers Light A Fire Under Maroon 5 By Jenay Ross

Once the Artist Stories panel ended on Wednesday, the Music Journalists were allowed to remain in the Booth 100 building to interview Maroon 5's Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael. As we waited in line with the rest of the media representatives and journalists, our anticipation increased. When we finally reached our turn, each of us was able to ask one question.

Julian Ring: Now that you guys have visited GRAMMY Camp® and seen all of these students who are obviously very talented, how do you feel about all of these kids that really look up to you guys as musical influences and inspiration?
Adam: We’ve been talking about it. It’s amazing. We feel like we’re no different. We started off this way, and we still feel this way. Like I said, we’re leaving here and going straight to band practice, and we’re going to work on the same ideas and the same things they’re working on here today. So, we feel very connected to them in a really pure way because it’s just what we do.
Jesse: I just want to say that I was really impressed with the music we heard from all the kids that played for us today. They were really talented. It’s crazy. It’s a little fire under us; we have to go back to the drawing board for our next tour.
Adam: We have to rework everything!

Susan Ewing: If GRAMMY Camp was around when you were younger, what artists would you have like to come and talk to you and give you some pointers and why?
Adam: I would have loved to sit and hear Pearl Jam talk to us or Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye or Lauryn Hill or Herbie Hancock or Tupac or the Beatles. It was millions of people all over the map that I would’ve loved to hear talk. It was amazing people out there who inspired us. Stevie would have been the main one because, well, Stevie can talk, he can really inspire you. And I’ve actually had the privilege to sit and talk with him and he delivers man, he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met.

Nick: A lot of the Singer/Songwriters have been working for a long while at making new material, but some of them are just starting to dabble in creating their own stuff. Is there any advice you would have for someone who wants to speed up the creative process and produce more material?
Adam: The creative process is really delicate. I think that you should be as creative as you can, but if you push yourself too hard, you can drive yourself crazy. I think you definitely need to have it still be fun, because when you’re having fun, that’s when you create the best things. I know this sounds so simple and elementary, but just make sure to keep it fun.
Jesse: And remember that there is inspiration everywhere all around you. Look around at writing on the wall, or somebody’s shirt, or open a book to a random page and there’s your first lyric. Never get stuck, just keep moving.

Jenay: In the panel, you were speaking about how the industry has kind of changed with music videos and image. What other ways have you seen it transform and what are your thoughts on it?
Adam: I think it’s in limbo right now. I think there are a lot of things actually happening and who knows when the dust is going to settle, where it’s going to fall, what’s going to happen. It’s obvious there’s been a shift from people going to a CD store and checking out new CDs and seeing what’s new in store to going online mostly on iTunes and checking it out there, which is just different. I don’t think it’s bad. It’s think it’s just different [and] it’s a really good thing when there’s change, even if something is going well. If it changes it changes. That’s kind of the nature of life and I think it’s a good thing the business is going through. It’s music. It’s never going away. So, that’s the good part about it.

Dertrick: How do you guys key the bond strong in the band to keep from breaking up?
Adam: It is like a family between us and you gotta work on it like a relationship and give people space when they need it. Little rips come up here and there and you gotta try and resolve the issues when they come up so that you don’t let things boil up to a point where they explode.
Jesse: I would say healthy communication is the key to a long band relationship. It’s key to have any healthy relationship actually.