Travis Schneider
Here’s some good news: Turns out Maroon 5‘s new single “Memories” isn’t just a standalone track. Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine tells the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the band is currently working on the follow-up to 2017’s Red Pill Blues. James says “Memories” will be on the album, and he agrees the mournful ballad is a bit of a departure for the band, musically.
“It’s a different kind of song for us…It’s an important song for us,” James tells the Sun-Sentinel. “You know, we experienced some loss in the last couple of years. We lost our longtime manager, Jordan Feldstein. We heard the skeleton of this song and thought it matched where we were at.”
Feldstein, who was also Adam Levine‘s best friend, died in 2017 at age 40 of a pulmonary embolism and a blood clot in his leg.
“Adam came in and filled the lyrics and made it more about our direct experience,” James explains. “It really spoke to us in this moment, and we’re really happy that it’s out there. Universally, I think everyone can relate to that feeling of loss.”
According to James, “Memories” is just another example of Adam’s special talent, which has led to Maroon 5’s incredible success.
“There’s always been a laser-like focus on the songs that we put out and songwriting,” he says. “Adam has an amazing ear, and he really has the ability to pick these songs that go out there and resonate with people.”
Maroon 5 will open the new Hard Rock Live venue at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on October 25. Then, they’ll do their annual New Year’s shows December 30 and 31 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
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