30 Seconds to Mars is a band that has included the modern sounds of rock that range from screamo to acoustical tracks in their international career. Although the group started with a modest first album in 2002 they have gone on to build a broad transcontinental following that fill venues around the world.

30 Seconds to Mars - dedicated rockers

"One more time."

30 Seconds to Mars is a band that has included the modern sounds of rock that range from screamo to acoustical tracks in their international career. Although the group started with a modest first album in 2002 they have gone on to build a broad transcontinental following that fill venues around the world.

30 Seconds to Mars - Fluid beginning

Core members of the band are the Leto brothers, Jared and Shannon, who were both born in Bossier City, Louisiana. Shannon was born March 9, 1970. On December 26, 1971 Jared missed being born on Christmas Day by one day. The two brothers formed a strong bond through their childhood as they moved from Louisiana as youngsters and relocated to Wyoming, then Colorado, and finishing off their teens in Virginia before heading to Los Angeles to pursue their musical ambitions in 1992.

30 Seconds to Mars was formed in 1998 and consisted of Jared as lead singer, guitarist and chief songwriter, Shannon on drums and Kevin Drake on guitar. Solon Bixler and Kevin Drake both played guitars in the band through 2000 after which Drake dropped out and Matt Wachter joined the band as a bassist, keyboarder and synthesizer in 2001.

Gathering chemistry

The release of the bands first self-titled album was well received by a respectable number of listeners and peaked at #1 on the Heatseekers chart in 2002. The single, Capricorn (A Brand New Name) peaked at #31 in the United States Mainstream Rock chart. The second notable single from the album was Edge of the Earth.

The band roster had remained stable for two years but in 2003 Bixler dropped out and Tomislav (Tomo) Milicevic came on board bringing his talent on the violin and keyboards as well as lead guitar to the group.

Born on September 3, 1979 in Sarajevo, Bosnia Tomislav immigrated to Troy, Michigan with his parents and siblings, Ivana and Filip, when he was 8 years old. After Tomo was hit in the leg by an errant bullet while standing in front of his father's Dunkin Donuts franchise the family relocated to Los Angeles. At seventeen Tomo was writing his own music and by nineteen he had turned his focus to playing guitar. In 2003, after playing with the Michigan band, Morphic, Milicevic had just decided to quit the music business when Shannon Leto invited him to audition for Bixler's spot. Tomo's impressive talent and genuine character won him the position from among the 200 that auditioned. He remains with the band today.

Coming into their own

It was their second studio album, A Beautiful Lie, which won 30 Seconds to Mars solid footing in the music business. In a stroke of expert marketing the band enclosed passes for free admittance to any of their concerts as well as a backstage tour in twelve copies of the album. Released on August 30, 2005 the album was certified platinum the following January.

Socially and environmentally aware the group fueled their bus during their 2006 "Welcome to the Universe" tour with vegetable oil and the Leto brothers created an illustrated Environmentour.

After six years with the band, Matt Wachter, announced he was leaving the band. March 1, 2007 in El Paso, Texas was his last show with the Mars men. Guitarist Tim Kelleher has filled in as a touring member of the band since then.

After some legal wrangling with EMI-Virgin Records the band released their third album, This Is War, on December 2009.

Between 2006 and 2009 30 Seconds to Mars has accumulated 31 nominations and won 19 music and video awards from around the world. Heavy involvement in MTV has brought them MTV Awards from Australia, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The Kill (Bury Me) took the 2007 Kerrang! Award for Best Single followed by From Yesterday taking the 2008 Best Single again. The band also took the 2008 Kerrang! Award for Best International Band.

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