Why did Kevin Cadogan leave Third Eye Blind?

by

For a couple of years in the late ’90s, Third Eye Blind was one of the most prominent rock bands globally. Compared to some contemporaries, they haven’t maintained commercial success or critical acclaim as long, but their grip on radio during that period is hard to dispute. A significant factor contributing to this was the style of guitarist Kevin Cadogan.

In 1993, Cadogan became one of the original band members. He played a crucial role in composing several iconic songs by Third Eye Blind, such as “How’s It Gonna Be,” “Graduate,” and “Losing a Whole Year.” Musically and lyrically, he significantly contributed to the band’s unique sound. However, he left Third Eye Blind in 2000.

Cadogan was fired from Third Eye Blind

As a devoted fan, I’d like to share a perspective that the guitarist has expressed: This split wasn’t my call; I was unexpectedly ejected from the highly acclaimed band due to financial disputes with our charismatic singer and founding partner, Stephan Jenkins. Contrary to our initial agreement, we were supposed to be equal partners in Third Eye Blind. However, things didn’t go as planned when Jenkins established Third Eye Blind Inc, effectively making him the sole proprietor of the band, leaving me without a say in its ownership.

As reported by SF Gate, Cadogan decided against signing any future recording contracts once he discovered that his previous band partner had assumed financial control over the group. The band, Three Eye Blind, had been presented with a $1 million advance to establish an imprint with Elektra Records. However, Cadogan expressed discomfort at the prospect of agreeing due to Jenkins receiving the majority of the profits.

Essentially, the guitarist took legal action, alleging unjust dismissal. He stated that his earnings from recordings and songwriting were withheld following his termination. Things worsened during the court case when it was found out that Jenkins owned the band, enabling him to label Cadogan and others as “contract employees” rather than rightful “band members.

Cadogan settled a band lawsuit in 2002

Cadogan expressed to Flood Magazine that it was far from agreeable. He further explained that after this incident, the others in the band would claim the copyright for the songs, making the band members believe that they themselves were the owners of these compositions, which was not actually the case.

In 2002, the guitarist reached an out-of-court agreement with Third Eye Blind. Details of the settlement were kept private, but it’s been made clear that Cadogan acquired rights to the songs he contributed to composing. Since then, he has released three solo albums and created Radio Angel and XEB bands. Notably, XEB went on tour in 2017 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Third Eye Blind’s first album.

Read More

2025-04-11 22:00