- Rock band from San Jose California, formed in 1994. The original members were Steve Harwell (vocals), Kevin Coleman (drums), Greg Camp (guitar), and Paul De Lisle (bass).
- Harwell started the band. He formerly was in a rap group. His manager was Kevin Coleman, who was acquainted with Camp and De Lisle, who were in a punk rock band. They began to play together, and they developed into a band, which they called Smashmouth.
- They made a demo song, Nervous in the Alley, which got air time at a San Jose radio station, and it led them to sign with a record label, who inserted the space between Smash and Mouth. In 1997, the released their debut album, Fush Yu Mang. The album sold over two million copies, off the strength of their single Walkin’ On the Sun, which hit #1 on the Alternative Songs charts.
- Their follow-up album from 1999, Astro Lounge, was their biggest seller, with over three million units sold. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard 100 album chart. It contained their signature song, All Star, as well as Then the Morning Comes.
- Their cover of the Monkees’ song I’m a Believer was used in the soundtrack of Shrek. It was part of their third album, titled Smash Mouth.
- Their later studio albums were modestly successful. As of March 2026, they have released eight studio albums and 19 singles.
- They regularly perform covers of older retro music. In addition to I’m a Believer, they play songs from War, the Beatles, Simple Minds, as well as I Wan’na Be Like You from the 1967 Disney movie The Jungle Book – their version was played during the end credits of The Jungle Book 2 movie in 2003.
- Harwell, the frontman for the band, left the band in 2021 due to poor heath, and he died in 2023 of liver failure, brought on by alcoholism. He was replaced by Zach Goode.
- Smash Mouth won’t ever be put into a category of monumental artists. But, they were a fun band that had a defining sound in the late 90s and early 00s. All Star is a snappy quasi-rap song that everyone sang along with in its day, and it still gets played at baseball stadiums today – I love it. Here is the hilarious, goofy video.