Simon Says

Matt Franks has long maintained that Simon Says never set out as a deliberate project. Two high-school sophomores from southern California attended a party and were struck by a handful of peers their own age who were handling strong instrumentals. Once that ad-hoc group dissolved, Franks joined forces with the remaining players and the three quickly gelled into what he calls “this magic trio.” For the next three years Franks, guitarist Zac Diebels, and drummer Mike Johnston performed steadily on the high-school circuit and at all-ages venues around Sacramento under the name Simon Says.

Bass player Mike Arrieta came aboard in 1995, at which point the quartet—taking its name from the familiar playground game—felt sufficiently encouraged by their teenage following to issue two self-released albums, “Little Boy” and “Perfect Example,” in 1997. While the musicians searched for legal representation they were approached by Jeff Saltzman, who was then assembling a production and management company and was specifically seeking self-sufficient young acts with evident songwriting ability. Saltzman introduced the band to producer Mark Needham of Cake, who guided a new set of demo recordings. Shortly afterward Saltzman arranged a showcase in Los Angeles for fifteen labels. In July 1998 Hollywood Records, one of the earliest companies to hear the material, offered a deal on the spot. With Hollywood A&R executive Rob Cavallo overseeing the sessions, “Jump Start” was mixed by Needham and reached radio in May 1999. The rest forms a classic tale of precocious American success.