Fush Yu Mang... a message to all the nay sayers, the clue less and those that dis a way to get away with swearing -- on the radio (That was "Walkin' On The Sun" from Smash Mouth's Fush Yu Mang.) and to your parents (Mom, I want Fush Yu Mang by Smash mouth.) -- and to make your parents swear in public (Excuse me, I'm looking for that, uh, Fush Yu Mang record by Smash Mouth...it's for my kid.).

Smash Mouth. It's like the good cereal with all the vitamins in it, the stuff that tasted good and is good for you. Wild, raucous, energetic and great to dance (or mosh) to, Smash Mouth's debut disc, Fush Yu Mang (Interscope), is not only the ultimate party album with songs about silly subjects that'll put you in a good mood -- like it or not, but also, on occasion, serious with important stories hidden behind phat grooves and light-hearted beats. While the twelve songs on Fush Yu Mang sound like they belong side by side, each has its own feeling -- like the very '60s "Walkin' On The Sun," the surf 'n' turf of "Nervous In The Alley," the Buzz cocks-like "Pet Names," the mafia rock of "Padrino," and the frat rock of "Let's Rock." The music is a happy marriage of styles with no pretense of attitude about being the hippest, coolest thing since, well, fortified cereal and the Fonz.

"When we formed the band, we didn't have one style of music in mind. We just decided we were going to write songs that feel good to us," explains vocalist Steve Harwell. "Put every style in a blender on high, chop, frappe', whatever you want, mix it together, pour yourself a cup, take a big shot, and that's us. I don't want this band to be considered a punk band, a ska band, a surf band, a rock band, a pop band. I just want to be considered Smash Mouth; however people interpret it, it is what it is."

Smash Mouth's musical blend is the result of the four main ingredients -- Steve, guitarist Greg Camp, bassist Paul De Lisle and drummer Kevin Coleman -- and their different styles and influences -- from Van Halen to Ministry to the Clash and the Buzz cocks to War. Smash Mouth formed in 1994, in a sense, because the four San Jose -- the major metropolis south of San Francisco -- natives had nothing better to do musically. When Steve's signed rap group (F.O.S.) fell apart, he started making noise with childhood friend Kevin. (As kids, the two played together in a garage band, in fact, too young to drive, Steve would push his Fender cabinet inside a shopping cart a mile through the neighborhood to Kevin's house everyday they practiced.) Steve's manager introduced the two to Greg, who had just left a local band (lackadaddy) he had formed. "They came to my house just about every morning at ten, banging on my window. They really wanted me to be in this project," states Greg. "They brought songs with just drums and lyrics, so I helped them write and it ended up being really fun -- even that early in the morning." Paul, who was once in a band with Greg, joined when they started playing live. 

In those early morning hours, they began making demos in Greg's bedroom, dubbed Room 222. Although the sessions ultimately caused him to get kicked out of his apartment, the demos caught the ear of producer Eric Valentine (Third Eye Blind, Meices, Steve Vai). In 1996, Valentine produced a two-song demo, which Greg and Steve were determined to get played on the radio; they took it to San Jose station KOME and talked the DJs into listening to it. "He flipped out on 'Nervous in the Alley'," remembers Steve. "before we knew it, we were the only unsigned band in regular rotation on KOME." The band was then asked to play second stage at the station's summer radio show at the Shoreline Amphitheater -- in front of several thousand people and alongside established bands like No Doubt, Beck and 311 -- even though they had only played in small clubs around San Jose, San Francisco and Los Angeles. After KOME spun "Nervous in the Alley" nearly a hundred times, the station pulled it because listeners were calling to find out where to purchase the music -- and it wasn't available.

Without a record deal, Smash Mouth went into the studio with Valentine in the spring of 1997. The plan: record an album and if major labels were not interested when they were finished, the band would release it themselves. Bites happened almost immediately, and after meeting with Interscope head honchos, the foursome signed their names.

The actual recording and mixing of Fush Yu Mang at Valentine's studio in Redwood City (Northern California) took only a month. the majority of the songs were played live, there's little or no tricks going on in the recording process, and the only additional instruments were horns and keyboards on a few dongs. Although predominately penned by Greg -- both musically and lyrically, it's the creative combination of the unity that turns the music into actual songs. "All the songs are written on an acoustic guitar; then I take the bare skeletons to the band so they can add their parts and personalities."

Silly or serious, punk or ska, rock or roll, it's Smash Mouth's joint effort as well as drive that transformed a - couple - dudes - banging - on - a - guys - bedroom - window - before - cereal - was served into an unsigned - band - on - the - radio and then a - signed - band - on - the - radio. "We formed the band with the intention of getting on the radio and making a record. It wasn't about trying to be cool. Being cool is cool, but being broke is being broke. I don't want to be cool and broke; I would rather be cool and have dough and a career and have people dig our stuff. I think we have hit songs, and that may sound like we're bragging, but I think the songs are great.'

Aware that with a fast-rising band (Walkin' On The Sun" was at radio long before the record was out) comes many misconceptions, Greg and Steve want to set the record straight about Smash Mouth -- before there is a record.

Misconception 1: Are you for real? "We are for real and we are going to prove it live." -Steve

Misconception 2: Who in the band works at a radio station? "None of us work at a radio station -- that's not why we are on the radio. we're on the radio because people are requesting it, and they're not all our friends." -Greg

Misconception 3: Is someone in Smash Mouth related to an Interscope suit? "(Interscope President) Tom Whalley is my dad, but we don't like to talk about it. Well, my dad is actually Bob Dylan and my brother is in the Wallflowers. And my cousin is Marilyn Manson." --Steve