Pop-rock act Maroon 5 is an overnight success story that's been more than three years in the making. The low-key California rockers have sold more than 3 million copies of "Songs About Jane," their debut album. Venues on the act's current tour, which includes a show Friday at The Rave, are at or near capacity, with fans hungry for upbeat rock and sensitive ballads.

When nobody was watching, Maroon 5 was becoming tighter and more musically focused, guitarist James Valentine says.

In February, Maroon 5 beat out two heavily favored nominees - hip-hop "it" boy Kanye West and "Redneck Woman" Gretchen Wilson - to take home the Grammy for best new artist.

But Maroon 5's shot at stardom wasn't always a sure thing. "Songs About Jane" was released in June 2002 and languished largely unheard for nearly a year. The band toured relentlessly and was rewarded when "Jane" broke into Billboard's Top 200 midway through 2003.

Fueled by word of mouth, more touring and growing airplay for "Harder to Breathe," "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved," Maroon 5 eventually climbed as high as No. 6 on the album chart. The group was suddenly all over radio and television, and singer Adam Levine's distinctive voice became perhaps one of the most identifiable sounds of 2004.

Guitarist James Valentine doesn't regret those long months of touring at the bottom of the bill as unknowns early on, with gear and band in a single van.

"There was a long time when nobody was paying attention to us. And during the time no one was paying attention, we were getting better," he said.

Speaking from the Los Angeles-area home he shares with Levine, Valentine credits the long haul to the top of the charts with making the band tighter and more musically focused. Nothing prepared him, however, for the daily pressures of less-than-sudden stardom.

Valentine, a native son of Nebraska, admits the transition from aspiring musician to Grammy-winning rock star has been, well, rocky.
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