Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Jonathan Anderson-Guitar/Lead Vocals
Amy Keyohara-Keys/vocals
Shawn Berkompas-Bass/vocals
Cole Sandin-Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to So Say We All? How long has the band been around?
I was in a hard rock/punk band called Hit by a Bus. Cole played with RJ from Right On Kid in a band called Walking Revival, Shawn played upright bass for bluegrass wonders Breaking Blue. So Say We All has been kicking for 5 years now.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
We were considering MOAR! because it would look good on a flyer, (lame) but when a mutual friend suggested So Say We All everyone got excited. It is a slogan from the Sci Fi series Battlestar Galactica that actually was entirely improvised by Edward James Olmos in the pilot episode. The slogan stuck throughout the series and thus the name stuck for us. Aiming in a somewhat spacey direction with influences like Muse, Mutemath, and Smashing Pumpkin’s makes the name a nice fit. It is surprisingly quite rare that we meet someone who gets the reference.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
For the most part, I bring compositions to the band and we all rework them together. The themes are very spiritual. Baptist roots in small Midwest towns run deep and more than a handful of Millennials need to deconstruct their fundamentalist box before tackling the looming existential dread nobody talks about over Churches chicken honey biscuits on a Sunday afternoon. The topics will likely become more self-deprecating, more contradictory, and more tongue in cheek over time.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Comrades, Chet Faker, new Radiohead, new Gungor, Bon Iver, Mae, Weezer, The Brilliance, The Collection, The Liturgists, Sleeping at Last, Murder By Death, Muse, Mutemath, O’brother, Smashing Pumpkins (old and new), Blindside, Refused
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Weezer’s song “In the Garage” changed my teenage life. I saw them live right before the green album came out. They played mostly Pinkerton songs. Everyone sang along, the PA blew up, everyone kept singing anyway. It was one of the happiest nights of my life.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
It’s mostly me running around making sure the merchandise is set up, nothing was left behind, the drums are staged, the gear is working, the keyboard has cords and so on while everyone else makes fun of him. It’s the perfect show prep. The running around gets Anderson limber, insulting him helps the other members relax.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Edward James Olmos followed us on Twitter, that was a really great day.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Muse, Mutemath, and Radiohead all on the same tour so we could steal Muse’ stuff, steal Mutemaths ideas, and steal Radioheads soul. Then with our super powers we would record an album, make only one copy, and put it on eBay.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks to Kill The Music for having us and keep an eye on our