Published on June 22nd, 2020 | by Guest Contributor
0Introducing Socal Band of Brothers, We The Commas, and Their Debut Single “Sherry”
Introducing SoCal band of brothers We the Commas – comprised of Cam Comma (17), Jordy Comma (19), and Lenny Comma (23). Inspired by the likes of John Mayer, Bob Marley, The Beach Boys, Frank Ocean, Miguel, The 1975, Young the Giant, and The Head and The Heart, We the Commas describe their music as ‘Surf Alternative R&B.’ It’s a blend of chill acoustics that are soothing as the waves they love to surf, as well as soulful vocals that reflect various emotions – from falling in lust to finding life’s purpose. It’s not often one sees a group of Black artists who surf just as much as they play, yet We the Commas embrace going against the societal grain. Refusing to conform to stereotypes of sonic pop, rock, and R&B traditions, the newcomers are ready to shake things up with their debut single “Sherry” alongside the Josh Sikkema and Chris Rosa-directed video out globally today.
We the Commas explain, “We wrote the song ‘Sherry’ because we wanted to capture the feeling you get when you feel like you found the perfect romantic partner. Finding your Sherry is just an amazing feeling. Our goal was to create a song that would encompass our full vibe as a band so that people could get to know us and our range. We really wanted to make something that people from multiple generations could enjoy.” They continue, “We originally recorded the demo for the song in a small studio in Studio City, CA but the track completely transformed when our producer Chris Rosa brought us over to Sphere Studios in North Hollywood. We got to record through this sick Neve board and we brought in additional musicians, live horns, and a mellotron player. Everything on the record is live.”
Quickly establishing themselves in their local music scene, We the Commas previously performed on San Diego’s KUSI Morning Show as well as for their March of Dimes charity event in Balboa Park, and hosted a weekly three-hour gig at The Bunker House in Oceanside. It’s no surprise their drive captured the attention of one of their very own inspirations The Head and The Heart and acclaimed hip-hop/R&B producers like Rex Kudo (Post Malone, Young Thug, Nav, Lil Uzi Vert) and Charlie Handsome (Travis Scott, Khalid, The Weeknd, Drake) before even launching their project.
Their journey began early in their family living room void of cable, singing Motown classics like Stevie Wonder and The Jackson 5 on an old school boombox, and later playing games like Rock Band. Music lessons soon followed and toys turned into real instruments, eventually leading to the formation of We the Commas. “This first project is really vulnerable,” says Cam, “and we’re really excited to share our story with everyone and have them connect to our experiences.” That openness stems from the band’s brotherly bond, which in turn strengthens the music. It’s natural for siblings to bicker and not get along often, but the trio quickly realized they needed to rely on each other as peers in order to be successful. “We’ll sit in studio sessions and we’re in awe of each other’s work,” Jordy explains. “It’s insane to see how connected we are. We can be separated for a week, but when we get back into the studio we take notes of what’s been going on in our lives and what we experienced. This cohesive story just comes together.”
As impressive as their story and sound is the integrity behind it. Lenny, Jordy and Cam Comma realize that from the outside looking in they don’t embody what the world might envision as “beach boy surfers.” Given their personal mission to break down racial and social constructs, We the Commas are committed to keeping their values at the forefront of everything they do. Lenny adds, “[Being Black] influences our music, because it tells our experiences. Especially where we live, there are not a ton of people who look like us, so we’ve learned to be the most authentic version of ourselves. We’re trying to do something different that people haven’t seen before… the overarching goal is to let people know that no matter what, don’t let fear or social norms restrict you from doing the things you love.”
We the Commas are currently in the studio and plan to release content independently through 2020.
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