roots trace back to 1990

Smash Mouth’s roots trace back to 1990 when Steve Harwell and Kevin Coleman met. Smash Mouth was then formed in 1994 by Harwell, who had formerly played in a rap group called F.O.S. (Freedom of Speech). Coleman, who was Harwell’s manager, knew guitarist Greg Camp and bassist Paul De Lisle , who had both played in a local punk band, and introduced the three musicians to each other. They began rehearsing together along with Coleman, who played drums. They soon developed into a band, and named themselves Smashmouth , an American football term. During their early years, the band played largely rock music .