Former Third Eye Blind Guitarist Sues Ex-Bandmates

Former Third Eye Blind lead guitarist Kevin Cadogan has filed a lawsuit against the band, according to a statement released by Cadogan's official site. Cadogan is claiming that the group tricked him out of money for music he wrote while he was a member of the band, according to the statement.

The ten-count federal suit, according to Friday's (6/16) statement, cites fraud and breach of contract. Defendants include Third Eye Blind founder and lead singer Stephan Jenkins, the group as a whole, band manager Eric Godtland, lawyer Tim Mandelbaum and Elektra Entertainment Group.

"Cadogan asserts that Jenkins and his codefendants lied and intentionally deceived him in a carefully orchestrated plot to unlawfully exploit his intellectual property in violation of federal and common law," reads the statement. The statement goes on to claim that Cadogan co-wrote 16 of the songs that the group recorded for both its self-titled debut album and last November's follow-up, "Blue."

After Third Eye Blind kicked Cadogan out of the band in January and replaced him with former guitarist Tony Fredianelli, Cadogan immediately began to indicate that a lawsuit was likely.

A statement issued by Third Eye Blind's management company EGM indicates that the group feels Cadogan's lawsuit is without merit.

"Bands with any degree of visibility are always targets of frivolous lawsuits," said EGM in its statement. "We have nothing to say about this one."

Cadogan has formed his own band, Bully, and is currently working on the group's first album, tentatively titled "bully4you." The group plans to release the disc on Cadogan's own independent label, Tossed Out Records.

Third Eye Blind, meanwhile, is on tour in support of "Blue," which was recently certified platinum by the RIAA. The group is also scheduled to be perform on "The Late Show with David Letterman" on June 27.