Sibling trio We The Commas might not have been around for that long, but since making their debut back in June, they’ve certainly made an impression. A band who believe there’s no one box that fits or describes the music they make, they instead coined the term SARB – Surf Alternative R&B – and have in recent months shared their views on important matters such as the ongoing BLM movement and the state of the nation through the songs that make up their SARB EP, out now. PopWrapped caught up with the brothers to talk about their latest single “The RZN”, the power of social media and plans for 2021.
For anyone yet to discover the band, who exactly are We The Commas?
Jordy – We are three brothers from southern California with a passion for music. From a young age our parents constantly reminded us to never let fear hold us back and to be the most authentic version of ourselves. We hope to inspire people to pursue their dreams and passions unapologetically despite any racial and social constructs or norms.
What might you say you each bring to the band? What makes you click, besides being brothers?
J – We each bring many unique assets to the group. For example, we all contribute to the song writing process but Cam has the gift of seeing a song from a bird’s eye perspective. At a song’s earliest phase Cam has a vision for the entire body of work – every harmony, guitar section, etc. Lenny brings many elements to the table as well. Len’s ability to connect with his listeners is impeccable. He is a fantastic story teller and his lyrics tend to resonate with people on a deep level. I believe I provide passion and energy. I have ADHD so I am typically up late at night plotting ideas for the week for social media, future songs, and videos. We grew up listening to a wide array of music and that inspired each of us similarly and in our own lanes as well. Lenny resonates with folk, rock n roll, and R&B heavily, Cam resonates with jazz, alt rock and R&B, and I heavily resonate with R&B and rock n roll. We have a genuine appreciation for all music and we let each other explore that within our songs. Each member stays authentic to who they are and we allow each other to all express their thoughts freely which keeps our dynamic healthy and exciting.
As brothers, how easy or hard is it for the three of you to be both family and working professionals with a job to do? How do you handle any disagreements you might have, if any?
J – We keep the fact that we are family and brothers at the forefront of everything. This experience isn’t about anything but simply making great music and enjoying this journey as brothers together. We keep each other’s mental health at the forefront as well. Life’s short and we are not guaranteed tomorrow or anything at all so we make sure when there are disagreements we hear each other out and handle them accordingly. Everyone has the opportunity to be heard. Honestly, we love each other and couldn’t imagine pursuing this with anyone else so it really is a dream come true. Simply said we wouldn’t let any BS get in the way of us following our dreams and bonding as brothers.
Tell me a little about your latest single “The RZN”? Who or what inspired the track and why choose this song out of the many others you’ve been working on to release as a single after the EP?
Band – 3 days after the George Floyd tragedy, we wrote a song called “The RZN” This song was our way to express the pain we were experiencing in the midst of the turmoil. We never planned on releasing it because it was just a song for us as brothers to hold onto. Long story short, about a month after the song was created, we were getting haircuts and our barber randomly told us he heard a snippet of the song. He said that if even just a few people were touched by the song like he was, then it would have a huge impact. So here we are releasing it.
You also recently dropped your SARB EP. What can you say about it? Do you have a favourite track or tracks?
Cam – SARB is a great introduction to We the Commas. It highlights our unique sound and overall SoCal vibe, while touching on glimpses of the new music that is coming in the near future. It’s really hard to pick just one favorite song off the project, but I was probably excited for “All the Best” to come out.
How easy or hard do you find the song-writing process? Can and does it depend on the subject matter or the mood you’re in?
C – The writing process should always feel so natural. All three of us are very spontaneous writers. Our mood from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows is what sparks the subject matter of our music. This is what keeps the music fresh and exciting and always 100% authentic.
Which, in your minds, might you say is the greatest song ever written? Does such a song even exist?
Band – Every song has its own unique place and purpose within our everyday lives. Certain songs you will connect with depending on your mood. So I think it would be impossible to say that one song is the greatest of all time.
You’ve so far been praised and featured by the likes of Alternative Press and American Songwriter among others, but what’s the nicest thing someone’s said or written about you? Do you actually care what critics think or are you more concerned with the thoughts and opinions of the fans?
Band – We really appreciate the write ups and interviews a lot. When we’re making music, we never make it in a sense to please anyone outside of ourselves. We just want to make great music, release it and hopefully those who relate and like it will keep listening and spread the word. The interviews and press we’ve gotten help that goal and we are extremely thankful. We think the responses we’ve been getting in our comment sections on YouTube and in our DM’s are a great way to see what the listeners are thinking and we are really grateful for the kind words. We’ve had several people say they found they’re wedding song in our song “Custom Made.” That’s a highlight for sure.
You’ve also been reposted on Instagram by, to drop one big name, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Taking that into account, exactly how important is social media to you as a band, and as individuals? Do you believe artists today need to have such platforms or is it still possible to achieve success without having that social media connectivity to an audience/fanbase?
Lenny – Social media is an amazing tool to reach fans and to connect with people. As a band, we are very grateful for social media. I personally like to separate my personal life from what we do in the band, so social media isn’t something I take very seriously for myself, but for the band, we are all in. I think anything is possible and there are different ways to achieve success, but social media platforms are playing a huge role in helping artists find exposure, so it is definitely something every artist should consider. And every artist can choose to use social media in a way that makes them most comfortable. This is probably one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about this process and I have learned to like social media now that we have found a way to interact with it in a way that makes us all feel good. Shout out to Dwayne for the love, we really respect him and his work ethic. We like his Teremana too haha!
You’re a fairly new band, making your mark on an industry that is forever changing and decidedly cut-throat. What one lesson has the business taught you so far, and what advice would you give to any other band or artist out there considering following in your footsteps?
L – The biggest lesson we have learned is that if we are all aligned on our goals and what we want out of this experience as a band and as individuals, and if we set expectations with each other that we don’t compromise on, every situation becomes manageable because we have a consistent and unwavering way of dealing with them. My advice to other bands would be to always put the good of the band ahead of the good of the individual.
Finally then, with a new year having just begun, how do you see 2021 shaping up? What, if anything as yet, have you got in the works?
Band – We are excited for 2021 because we plan to release our first full album! We also have a full acoustic album we will release and many more videos.
Check out the video for “The RZN” below and for more information on We The Commas, visit their website, give their page a like on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Their SARB EP is available now.
