Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: Tedder , by then an established songwriter and record producer , had convinced Filkins who was living in Chicago to relocate .
Simplified: They were started by songwriter and record producer Ryan Tedder and his high school friend Zach Filkins in Colorado Springs . The group became official in 2003 with Tedder , Filkins , Drew Brown , Eddie Fisher , and Tim Myers in Los Angeles .