Sara Bareilles Recalls Her First Time Seeing Cocaine on Maroon 5 Tour

Sometimes the wildest stories aren’t about the fame or the sold-out arenas—they’re about the surreal moments that remind you just how far removed touring life is from everyday reality. Singer Sara Bareilles is opening up about one such moment from her days opening for Maroon 5, and it’s the kind of behind-the-scenes detail that reveals how much of a culture shock the road can be, even for seasoned musicians.

During a recent Rolling Stone interview shared on Friday, July 3, Bareilles, 46, reflected on what she called a“crazy”time touring with the band. The craziness included an unexpected encounter at a party while on the road: she saw cocaine for the first time in her life.“I went to use the bathroom at a party and there was a little—this does not even belong to the band, this was one of those things where we’re out and about,”she explained, noting that the substance wasn’t connected to Maroon 5 itself. Her reaction was straightforward disbelief.“I was like,‘Oh my god, that’s cocaine.’Couldn’t believe it.”The punchline? She’s never tried it.“Still never done cocaine, guys. I don’t do drugs. Except with therapists,”she quipped.

Bareilles and Maroon 5 members Ryan Dusick and Mickey Madden share a UCLA connection from their college days, and that history set the stage for her appearances on the band’s 2008“It Won’t Be Soon Before Long Tour”and their 2012“Hands All Over Tour.”Rather than dwell on the drug encounter, though, she painted a warmer picture of her time with the group.“Those boys were so wonderful to us. They were so generous and so kind and they felt like big brothers. They took me on the road, our band—they took us under their wing, they shared everything they had.”

What struck her as much as anything was the sheer intensity of Maroon 5’s fanbase. Bareilles marveled at the literal phenomenon of female fans throwing underwear on stage—something she’d heard was a trope but didn’t quite believe until she saw it happen in real time. Her commentary on the practice was refreshingly pragmatic: if you’re wearing a skirt and sitting down, you’re going to have a hygiene problem. It’s the kind of honest, unglamorous observation that only someone who’s actually been in the room can make.

By her own account, the Maroon 5 tours were transformative. In a 2014 CBS News interview, she credited the band with changing the trajectory of her entire career.“Those boys changed the trajectory of my life in a big way,”she said then.“And yeah, I’m forever grateful.”That gratitude shines through in her recent recounting—the cocaine bathroom moment is just a funny story about how wild things can get, not a commentary on the band themselves.

Today, Bareilles is focused on different themes altogether. Her new album“Good Grief”—her first in seven years—emerged from the pandemic and explores grief, depression, and loss. The work reflects a deeper philosophy she’s developed:“Grief must be witnessed. You must share it. It doesn’t heal on its own.”It’s a far cry from bathroom surprises and underwear at concerts, but it shows how far she’s come since those opening-act days.