How Smash Mouth Found Its Groove

Having radio jump all over a new single long before an album is out is nothing new for Smash Mouth.

The San Jose quartet got enough airplay in its hometown for the song “Nervous in the Alley” to be invited to a big show thrown by a San Francisco modern-rock station long before the band’s first album was recorded. And even before Smash Mouth was signed to a record company, “Walkin’ on the Sun” was being played on the influential Los Angeles station KROQ-FM (106.7). Its national success led to a 2 million-selling debut album, “Fush Yu Mang,” in 1997.

Weeks before this week’s release of the follow-up, “Astro Lounge,” the first single, “All Star,” climbed to No. 3 on Billboard’s modern-rock chart.

With its loping, reggae beat and Graham Parker-like vocals, “All Star”--which will also be used in the upcoming Ben Stiller film “Mystery Men”--is a winner because “it sounds like Smash Mouth,” says lead singer Steve Harwell. “It’s fun. It’s one of those songs you like to hear in spring and summer.

“We’ve had fun test-marketing the new stuff,” Harwell says of the band’s recent shows. “The cool thing I noticed is that even though the new record [was] not out, the fans who show up really love the new stuff.”

Smash Mouth was caught by surprise when “Walkin’ on the Sun” became such a big hit two years ago, reflecting in its keyboard sound a retro ‘60s cool akin to another hit of its era, the movie “Austin Powers.”

The song was so big, Smash Mouth had to add keyboardist Michael Kluster to the core lineup of Harwell, guitarist Greg Camp, bassist Paul De Lisle and drummer Kevin Coleman.

“We learned a lot off the first record,” Harwell says. “We found out radio won’t play just anything, even if it’s a hit. If they play one thing they know you for, and you get stuck in a certain kind of style, they won’t play anything else.

“We got stuck in this retro thing with ‘Walkin’ on the Sun’ and ‘Can’t Get Enough of You Baby,’ and they can’t get enough of it.”

That was especially true for “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby,” a remake of a song by ? & the Mysterians--the band that helped make the cheesy electric organ required equipment for any ‘60s garage band. A hit on the “Can’t Hardly Wait” soundtrack last year, “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby,” closes out the new “Astro Lounge” as well. But only because some fans said they couldn’t find the soundtrack, Harwell says.

After another single, a version of War’s “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” Smash Mouth didn’t want to be known as a cover band.

“People thought ‘Walkin’ on the Sun’ was a cover song, too,” Harwell said. “It was depressing to hear that.”

Smash Mouth--which will be in the lineup for KROQ’s Weenie Roast on Saturday at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre--was smart enough to embrace the sound it was being known for, rather than rebel against it.

“We were falling into a sound,” Harwell says. “But we actually like it.”

To augment the sound, they’ve added a full-time percussionist and keyboardist.

“It’s filled up our band so much more and feels so much better,” says the gravel-voiced singer. “We can do a lot more things and experiment more live than when we were a four-piece.”

And the best thing about already having an apparent hit in “All Star”? Says Harwell: “It’s definitely not the best song on the new record.”