Smash Mouth is an alternative rock band from San Jose, California that formed in 1994, the band is comprised of Steven Harwell (lead vocalist), Greg Camp ( guitarist/songwriter), and Paul De Lisle ( bassist).
Focused at times playing "neo- ska" music, the band has adopted retro styles spanning several decades of popular music, as well as performing covers of popular songs such as The Monkees' " I'm a Believer" and War's " Why Can't We Be Friends" as well as cult favorites such as ? and the Mysterians' "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" (though their version owes more to The Colourfield's interpretation; in fact, the band at first believed it was a Colourfield original 1). The band's 1999 release Astro Lounge is their most critically and commercially successful album to date.
In 1994 in San Jose, California, Steven Harwell was a veteran of a disbanded rap group called F.O.S. which had released only one single, "Big Black Boots", available only on vinyl. His former manager was Kevin Coleman. Harwell wanted to form a rock band, so Coleman introduced him to friends guitarist Greg Camp and bassist Paul De Lisle, both veterans of a local punk band called Lackadaddy. They met and held their first rehearsal later, with Coleman on drums. They named themselves Smash Mouth after a football term coined by Chicago Bears Coach, Mike Ditka, describing a style of hard, straight forward and bare bones play. The band played for the most part the then somewhat popular ska punk, although Harwell claims the band is variously influenced.
