“Adam started this rumour and it kind of got out of control,” Carmichael explains. “He said it on purpose, I think, just to get people kind of talking… The truth is that we are the last people to know what we’re doing in the future!” he laughs. “We really don’t plan ahead and you never know what’s around the corner, so we’d much rather go with the flow and enjoy what comes with it.
“I definitely don’t think that we’ve peaked in any way,” he adds, “and I don’t think that Adam does either. And there seems to be a certain power in rumours too, they take on a life of their own. I think Adam said that we’ve achieved as much as we could and that we may do one more album then call it day, but Hands All Over came out and we’ve got some new songs already, so I don’t believe we’ve reached some kind of peak at all.”
Featuring the criminally-catchy Misery, the gold-certified third effort saw the LA pop/funk-rockers in two-month lockdown with legendary producer Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange in a breathtaking Swiss location last year. With an additional guest appearance from Nashville trio Lady Antebellum, Carmichael claims Hands All Over isn’t Maroon 5’s peak, though it comes damn close to it.
“It [Lake Geneva] was such an inspirational place to work because it’s a very beautiful setting,” says Carmichael. “You’re in this studio and you’ve got these amazing mountains behind you and it’s a huge contrast to what you’re used to in LA. The one thing I’ve definitely realised is how much of an impact your environment can have on the way a record comes out. We’ve been pretty much used to just making music in our hometown up until now, so it was east to notice how much being away from home made an impression on the songs.
“The song Out Of Goodbyes (featuring Lady Antebellum) was the only one actually written in its entirety in Switzerland, just from sitting by the waters and soaking in the scenery. I just love the adventure of traveling; I’m totally comfortable being away from home all the time. I’ve done so much touring by now that at first you force yourself to get used to the idea of wherever you find yourself is your home. After a little while, it just becomes second nature and you start to crave it. I hate the thought of having to miss something back home all the time.”
Free as a bird, that’s been the motto so far, according to Carmichael, who adds that one of these days it could be time to settle down – maybe. Depends on how the band’s upcoming Australian jaunt goes down, too.
“I’m pretty sure I’m going to meet my future wife in Australia!” laughs Carmichael. “No really, I love the accent! It’s pretty much my favourite place in the whole world; I never get as excited about going anywhere else. People warmed up to us very quickly over there, we never even knew the extent of our fan base; it was a really pleasant surprise. I love the ocean and I love the people; nobody else has the same attitude. But, you know, before that happens, there’s still a few things to get done, there’s still a schedule to follow!
“This tour should take us all around the world for the rest of the year, so after that we’ll want a bit of time off. I’ve been really pumped about this tour this year; I think I’m feeling a new-found sense of excitement about it all. There has been a huge burst in energy in all of us lately, not just me. As I said, we’ve got some new songs too, so that’s the part I’m very excited about too.”
And while a much more soulful, r’n’b style is the band’s penchant at this point, Carmichael states it isn’t very likely Maroon 5 will repeat the formula on their next effort.
“I really enjoyed collaborating with Lady Antebellum because they’re like the parallel band to us, only in the country world. They’re also a bunch of people who are very easy to get along with – we felt that we clicked almost instantly. Maybe a lot of that had to do with the fact that they are pretty much around the same age as us and kind of coming from a similar frame of mind.
“I also enjoyed the way that song came to life – so spontaneously and naturally. I love it when music has that magic feeling, when it comes from a spark and not something premeditated. I think that’s the formula right there, probably – if you can literally come up with a song on the spot, it’s got to be a keeper. I like the idea of people coming together from all different scenes and collaborating. We’re also a band that borrows many different styles, so you never really know what’s coming around the corner.”
