JJAMZ

In the closing months of 2008, musicians already active in separate established projects converged at a Hollywood karaoke venue to launch the Los Angeles indie supergroup JJAMZ. The roster comprised James Valentine of Maroon 5, Jason Boesel of Rilo Kiley and Bright Eyes, Phantom Planet’s Alex Greenwald, vocalist Z. Berg from the Like, and solo artist Michael Runion. Strained by the demands of their primary groups, the friends viewed the new collective as a means to reset and explore music-making from an alternate vantage. Taking the name JJAMZ—pronounced “juh-JAMS”—from the members’ first initials, the ensemble made its live debut at the Echo Plex in Los Angeles on January 27, 2009. Occasional appearances followed in subsequent years before the band expanded to national touring and issued its debut album, Suicide Pact, during the summer of 2012.