Square was a short-lived musical trio from
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...
who moved to
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
in early 2000. It was composed of Sean Beste (vocals and keyboards),
James Valentine (guitars) and
Ryland Steen (drums). Their sound has been described as including elements of
rock,
pop, and
jazz fusion.
The band moved to
Orange County after entering an
Ernie Ball-sponsored band competition. They won the grand prize, beating 600 other entrants. Shortly after winning the competition, they released their only full-length album, ''This Magnificent '', on an
indie label called ''Lucy Smith Music''. The band started playing many gigs in the area, including some with local band
Kara's Flowers.
In 2001, the members of Kara's Flowers asked Valentine to join their group, an invitation that he accepted, effectively dissolving Square. Kara's Flowers changed its name to
Maroon 5 and became one of the most commercially successful acts of the mid-2000s. Steen later joined the established ska band
Reel Big Fish. Beste (who was initially upset and unhappy by Valentine's decision to leave Square but says he no longer harbors any ill will) started a band called The Excuse and moved to
Portland, Oregon
Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
for several years.
He has since returned to the
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
area and has done some work with the band
Maxeen.
Band members
*Sean Beste – vocals, keyboards, bass
*
James Valentine – guitars
*
Ryland Steen – drums
References
External links
Square Official Website (Webarchive)Square CD Baby website (Webarchive)Square's MySpace page
Musical groups from Nebraska
{{US-rock-band-stub