It Used To Be All About Jane ...

The band's big following is based mainly on their debut effort -- not to mention their smokin' hot looks. In their first year alone, they had three hit singles -- two of which made the Top Ten on the Billboard charts -- and won a Grammy for Best New Artist (depiste the fact that they'd played together in a different band for years). Soon after, their first album, Songs About Jane, was certified platinum (that's a lot of sales).

Now, at the release of their second album of new work, 'It Won't Be Soon Before Long,' the band is easily avoiding sophomore slump with fresh, sleek songs. The video for 'Makes Me Wonder,' the first single from the new effort, is already getting heavy rotation on MTV, and in the meantime, the guys are preparing for their U.S. summer tour.

Amidst all of this activity, though, they took a few minutes out to answer our questions about their new video, their dream collaboration and their views on airport security.

The Q & A

ANNA: Your new album has a more disco-tinged, Jamrioquai flavor going on. How do you think the band has evolved from your previous album?

MAROON 5: Jamiroquai, eh? Well.... we're older and hopefully wiser, we're more experienced, we have a new drummer, Matt Flynn... Overall our approach to recording was more confident and self-assured.

ANNA: Do you think airport security in the US would be improved by having models in short trench coats be involved with the check-in process?

MAROON 5: I mean, it would be a great stick-it to fundamendalist terrorrists. But seriously, airport security is a job for models in long trenchcoats, everyone knows that.

ANNA: How do you decide what your album title is going to be each time? What happens if someone in the group disagrees?

MAROON 5: We've never run into that problem... The first record was named as frankly and simply as possible. This new record title came from a book of quotes overheard during the years of touring. It was such a great malapropism, with a really nice rhythm to it, and it seems to really capture the feeling of the last few years for us. There was never really any question once we hit upon it.

ANNA: Your debut album was titled 'Songs About Jane.' So who's Jane?

MAROON 5: Jane. She is an ex-girlfriend of Adam's.

ANNA: If you could do a joint music video with any other band or artist, who would it be, and where would the setting of the video be?

MAROON 5: Lil' Wayne at Stonehenge.

ANNA: What do you see as the biggest challenge for nascent bands who are trying to follow in your footsteps?

MAROON 5: The whole model of the "music industry" is changing so rapidly right now. Record labels are almost obsolete for young bands now. The great thing about this particular moment is that there is a much more direct line of communication available between bands and their audience, but it takes more responsibility on the part of a band or artist to promote themselves. Also, with phenomena like MySpace, there is such a glut of music out there that it has become harder to distinguish oneself.