The music industry knew that Stephan Jenkins was something special, and that the band he fronted, Third Eye Blind, was ready to assume a spot leading the alternative music charge of the late 1990s.
Jenkins was so highly regarded, in fact, that he signed a large publishing deal while still an unreleased artist. The band he formed with Arion Salazar on bass, Joe Satriani student Kevin Cadogan on guitar and ex-Counting Crowes drummer Brad Hargreaves opened for Oasis in April 1996 in San Francisco. The band was signed to a contract almost immediately after and broke into the Billboard Hot 100 within the year.
Semi-Charmed Life, despite radio unfriendly lyrics, was the group’s breakthrough hit and reached as high as #4. The band also charted Jumper at #5 and How’s It Gonna Be at #9. Third Eye Blind was hot in 1997-1998 and it looked like they would battle Matchbox 20, Eve 6 and Semisonic for radio supremacy.
Unfortunately, Blue, the follow-up did well initially, but sales soon faltered without a massive radio hit. That hit was supposed to be Never Let You Go, but it eventually stalled at #14, and the album never gained sales traction. Out
of the Vein, released in 2003, did even worse, failing to go gold – the first time that happened to the young band. The album’s failure even led to a report in Rolling Stone that Warner Music was getting ready to cut the band from the label despite all three albums having charted in the top 40.
Since Out of the Vein‘s release, Jenkins has been playing benefits and linked romantically to Vanessa Carlton. Drumer Brad Hargreaves is playing in a side project called Year Long Disaster with Dave Davies (son of famous Kink Ray) and REO Speedwagon bassist Rich Mullins.
As of early 2005, no new release appeared imminent.