Featured Photo Credit: Omar Guerra
Growing up on California’s Carlsbad shore, We The Commas were inspired by beach vibes and the classic surf genre made famous by The Beach Boys. In their debut single “Sherry,” the trio takes that inspiration and uniquely reinvents the nostalgic vintage sound. We the Commas hope to create more music that has the same positive energy imprinted in every lyric and note of “Sherry.”
ECHO chatted with Cam (17 on guitar), Jordy (19 on drums) and Lenny (23 on bass) about “Sherry,” inspiration and what fans can look forward to next.
How does it feel to have your debut single, “Sherry” out in the world?
It feels really good. We were touch and go on a release date for a while. 2020 has been quite the year and it was heavy for us to get our minds back into music with so much pain people are going through. We almost postponed again. We ultimately decided that as artists, our gift to the world is our art and if someone can find solace in it or understanding then we have done a small part of what we are capable of doing. So we let the release happen. We have so much more music to share. “Sherry” is kind of our easy introduction and a very relatable subject that feels good. Having released this, we can now start to dive deeper into the ocean that makes up our music and the waves we hope everyone catches.
What inspired you to write “Sherry”?
We were jamming in the studio and talking about life. One of our conversations was about first love or first interest in being more than just friends. That conversation turned into a song. That song is “Sherry”.
What did the writing process look like for “Sherry”?
We were in the studio and Cam was playing a chord progression. As a group we wanted to express that feeling you have when you’re simply so happy you met that someone that enters your life romantically and you really want it to be more than just a friendship. So we all started writing our lyrics and melodies from our own perspective and “Sherry” was born. “Sherry” is more than a specific name, it’s a moment of realization. Everyone at some point has their own “Sherry.”
If you could set your fans up in the perfect environment to listen to “Sherry,” what do you imagine it looking like?
The perfect environment for our fans listening to “Sherry” would be to set up a picnic date with their significant other either on the beach or their favorite look out.
Where did the inspiration for the video come from?
We really wanted to capture a feel good visual. We wanted to embody who we were and what our life is like. We also wanted to capture where we’re from. Carlsbad / San Diego stand up! We didn’t want to show a girl or anyone specific to be “Sherry” since Sherry is going to be different for everyone. The locations in the video are our hangouts. It’s our high school, our boards, our scene. We wanted to be 100 percent authentically us and keep it simple. Though we actually don’t bring our gear in the ocean. That was just a crazy idea and we loved it!
You are all brothers. What has it been like working with each other and bringing all your individual styles together?
We as individuals have very different tastes in music but we also have a cross section where all of our tastes merge. As brothers we respect each other and learn from each other. The result ends up in a sound that is unique yet familiar as we blend our interests together. A lot of times it’s really easy because we focus on the song itself. Then we get into the studio and the production of the songs brings even more life and more of our individual elements to the work and we are amazed with each other and the way it turns out. We really look forward to everyone hearing how far our musical pendulum swings.
When did you all first become interested in music?
Music has been a big part of our lives for as long as we can remember. Our parents didn’t let the three of us watch a lot of TV or sit around being unproductive, so we filled our time by listening to music together as a family and singing along to our favorite songs. We had no choice but to be creative because it kept us excited and free from boredom.
Where did the name ‘We the Commas’ come from?
Comma is our last name, but the “we” behind the Commas signifies unity just like the “we” in “we the people.”
How would you describe your sound?
Surf alternative R+B or “S.A.R.B” is the name we have given to our sound. We think it perfectly describes the combination of mellow beach rock vibes, and soulful R+B.
What inspires you about the “surfer style”?
We love how laid back the surfer style is, while also being very functional for all the activities we enjoy. We also love the bright, vibrant and earthy colors associated with surf style.
How has growing up in San Diego influenced your music?
San Diego has such a diverse group of people. It automatically influenced us to listen and appreciate so many different genres of music, even though our own home life also consisted of such a wide variety. We definitely like our music laid back though. We tend to slow things down. Maybe to match the waves?
What can fans look forward to next?
We have a few singles and videos scheduled for release then an EP and then our Album. Hopefully we can get back to performing live again, we miss that.
What is one quote that you have heard or that you go by that you would like to ECHO out to the world?
“Never let fear hold you back” – our dad, Lenny Comma Sr.
Stream “Sherry” here.