3OH!3 came together in Boulder in 2004 during the Myspace cultural revolution. Founding members Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte named the electronic music duo after the area code that once covered all of Colorado, and what started as a way to entertain friends at parties soon grew into a musical phenomenon.
From the release of their first album in 2007, 3OH!3 has thrilled fans with one successful single after another and albums full of exciting tunes that blend multiple genres of music.
3OH!3 Hits
The self-titled debut album spawned 3OH!3’s first successful single, “Electroshock.” 3OH!3 signed with Photo Finish Records, a division of Atlantic, and since then, Foreman and Motte have continued to produce hit music for more than ten years.
Here are a few of the greatest 3OH!3 songs:
- “Don’t Trust Me,” from the album Want
- “Starstrukk,” also from Want, featuring Katy Perry
- “Follow Me Down” written for the film Alice in Wonderland
- “I Know How to Say,” featuring Kesha, written for Disney’s Mars Needs Moms
- “Hit It Again,” released to iTunes in December 2010
- “My First Kiss,” featuring Kesha, from the album Streets of Gold
Besides these singles, 3OH!3 contributed “Sex on the Beach,” a theme song for The Real World: Cancun, and created an anthem for the Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball team.
The duo’s music also appears via sampling in the work of other famous artists: Lil John sampled its music on the track “Hey” from his 2010 album Crunk Rock, and Kesha featured 3OH!3 on her song “Blah Blah Blah,” which went to number seven on the Billboard charts.
3OH!3 Performances
While 3OH!3 started out playing Colorado venues such as the Fox Theatre in Boulder and the Aggie Theater in Fort Collins, the act broke out on the Warped Tour 2008 and subsequently took their music all over the country at appearances like these:
- MTVU Spring Break in Panama City Beach, Florida, on March 2009
- Mile High Music Festival in Denver in July 2009
- End Fest in Sacramento, California, in 2009
- Kiss Concert ’09 in Mansfield, Massachusetts
- Kiss the Summer Hello 2009 in Buffalo, New York
- Reading/Leeds festival in the United Kingdom in the summer of 2009
3OH!3 Videos
In addition to its unique style of music, 3OH!3 is also known for some mind-blowing video work. The video for “Don’t Trust Me,” for example, tells the story of two male models who are the only survivors of a virus that wipes out every other man on the planet.
They appear in various famous locations around the world while beautiful women run toward them, but never seem to get close. And the video for “Starstrukk” is a collaboration with Katy Perry. These videos extend the feel of 3OH!3’s music to the visual realm.
More of 3OH!3 Coming Up
In 2018, the musicians behind 3OH!3 celebrated the tenth anniversary of the release of Want. Today they tell stories of couples who met at concerts in those early days and are now married and raising children.
Myspace has gone the way of the dodo, but 3OH!3’s music continues to evolve and grow for platforms such as YouTube and Facebook. A new generation is discovering the duo’s music in new ways.
Whether you’ve followed 3OH!3 for the last ten years or you’re new to their music, you can keep up with what’s next by visiting 3OH!3’s website, where you’ll find upcoming performances and appearances as well as fun merchandise.
3OH!3’s music brings people together from various personal and musical backgrounds, yet the team never takes themselves too seriously: Check it out and join the fun!
Also, make sure to visit the Colorado Music Hall of Fame website for news of upcoming events and concerts.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Timo Nausch