The Comma brothers from Carlsbad, Calif. are inseparable. Lenny, Jordon, and Cam, also known as the band “We the Commas,” have passion for creating music and its evident. Their musical journey began when they were young kids living in a household where music was always present and encouraged by their parents. Naturally, they gravitated towards playing instruments and singing.
“Music has been such a huge part of our lives for as long as we can remember,” says Jordan. “We didn’t watch a ton of TV as kids so we filled our time by listening to music together as a family and singing along to our favorite songs. When we were really young, we got a video game for our Nintendo Wii called Rock Band.”
Living in Southern California, the brothers have added their own twist on beach culture, both musically and visually. The brothers say they draw inspiration from Bob Marley, John Mayer, Frank Ocean, The Beach Boys and Dave Matthews Band, and they have been able to cultivate the “We the Commas” aesthetic of surfing and alternative R&B through their love of these musical icons.
They have taken a new angle on their music, describing it as “Surf Alternative R&B.” On February 11, the band’s latest single “Crush” was released.
“’Crush’ [was] written a few years ago at a studio in LA [where] we used to record often. The concept behind our song ‘Crush’ was to talk about an experience many people can probably relate to. Basically, this song is about developing a crush on a close friend and hoping that there’s a potential to move out of the friend zone,” says Jordon.
The music video for “Crush” was released on YouTube on March 24. Director Johnny Feelgoods and Alan Karuku visually brought “Surf Alternative R&B” to life.
“We’ve probably all had a crush at one point or another, so this song felt relatable no matter the demographic,” says Lenny. “When you listen to ‘Crush’ you’re either reminiscing about an old experience, or you’re thinking about who you currently are romantically involved with. We love writing love songs because there’s just so much to dissect and talk about.”
We the Commas continue to establish themselves and grow their fanbase.
“I saw them on March 6 at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California,” said college student Christina Habeeb. “Their show was absolutely amazing. Hearing their music from my phone was already great, but seeing them live was even better…They have such a cool vibe and are so confident in themselves when they’re singing together. I found their music comforting and I look forward to watching them grow bigger as a band.”
Cait Choucair, a graduate student from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles says she was struck when she heard “Crush” for the first time.
“I was unsure of where it was going to go but I really enjoyed it. I don’t normally listen to that type of music, I always find myself listening to R&B, Rap, and Reggaeton genres so listening to ‘Crush’ was honestly refreshing. I also found or listened to “OLD SCHOOL LOVE” next and I really really liked that… I look forward to seeing what else they come out with.”
There are big things in store for We the Commas as they continue to make new music and plan to play more shows for their fans.
“We are black surfers from San Diego who make music that maybe isn’t typical of people who look like us. It’s authentic to who we are, so we embrace that regardless. We hope to pave the way for a generation who chases their dreams despite the social norms and constructs,” says Cam.
