Interview by Ali Brant. All questions answered by Ryan Weidman [vocals & guitar].
For our readers who are new to Sonnder, tell us a little bit about the band and its formation.
The band first came together in the Spring of 2013 with various members drifting in and out. It really all stemmed from me just wanting to change my life for the better and focus on what I felt gave me a real purpose. An extended trip to San Francisco gave me an opportunity to take a step back from everything, reevaluate my situation, and dream up the band. Of course, it takes time in the beginning of anything to work out the kinks and create an environment that is positive and conducive of creativity. I would say that Sonnder wasn’t really a serious group until a year later or so when the four of us now found each other. Kat, Mike, and I all were music students at The University of Arts; Mike and I were there from the beginning. Once Kat heard the music and knew what we wanted to do, she jumped right aboard. Steve and I used to play in punk rock bands together in high school; but once we graduated, he took a step back from music to go to school down in Maryland for astronomy. He basically relearned the bass to join the band. We all really believe in the art we are creating; it really felt like we were on to something once the four of us got going. Now, we have been a band for close to a year and a half. It is crazy looking back on what we have accomplished since then; it’s just incentive to keep pushing further to see what is around the bend.
What’s the story behind the band’s name?
The name came from the word “Sonder” in “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows” and is a noun referencing the realization that everyone around you lives a life as vivid and complex as your own. I am really into existentialism, so when Steve showed me that, I knew it had to be the band name. The extra ‘n’ was added to trademark the name, to make it our own.
The band has been releasing a new single each month this year. How did the idea for the project come about?
After the release of our EP “Thief” in August 2014, we had a lot of other songs laying around that we knew we wanted to release on our first full length. I think the idea came from us deciding it would be better to keep people interested if we released new material more frequently and in less excess. Quality over quantity. It just seems like that is name of the game lately in this industry. Most people won’t sit and listen to a whole album by a band they never heard of. Putting one song out there to represent us speaks so much more strongly. We never knew it would catch on and bring us a lot of attention like it has so far. We are only halfway through the project so far; these next 6 months are going to be exciting. I think this last half is really going to show how diverse our sound really is. The end game will be our first full length featuring all 12 songs from the singles project plus 2 new ones all with cool transitions and includes. We want to make it a really cool experience for the listener.
Is there any significance to the order in which you’re releasing the singles?
Actually there is no real significance other than making each month a nice change from the last. We want to kind of showcase the scope of our writing at this stage of the band. So each month is meant to be a different side of what we do. I think the vibe of each single really fits the seasons well.
Sonnder just hosted the 1st Indie Dock Fest in Philadelphia, and it was amazing! Where did the idea for the festival come from and how did you choose which bands to take part in the event?
Thanks so much! It was a lot of fun putting that together, and I am glad you had a good time. Well to celebrate reaching the halfway point in the singles with the release of, “Siren Calling,” we thought it would be a fun idea to do a special show. At first it was just going to be a couple bands with us, but so many people said yes and wanted to be a part of it. Turning it into a mini festival just seemed like the best way to accommodate a bill that large. Saul Dratman of Gravity Given Productions helped me secure the Dockside venue and helped out with all the behind the scenes business, giving me free reign on creating the show the way we wanted it to be. Every band on the bill were all musicians that we somehow positively crossed paths with over the last year and a half of being a band. We all shared a connection and became friends over time. We wanted it to be a show where all the bands truly inspired us. Everyone connects. It really gives the audience a more authentic experience, like they are seeing a real touring show. If the artists are appreciating and inspiring each other, the crowd is going to tap into that vibration. We work really hard to build shows like that. Being friends with the the bands always makes it awesome. Furthermore, I really wanted to showcase the variety of the local alt rock scene. A lot of bands of this genre are out doing there own thing. We don’t come together often enough; I really want to create the true sense of “scene” within this genre in the Philly music community.
That’s great to hear that you guys are inspired and influenced by your peers and friends in the local music scene. That connection was definitely evident to the audience, making it a unique experience. What other artists do you draw inspiration from?
I grew up in the Doylestown/Bucks County music scene. Bands like Days Away, Circa Survive, and Good Old War amongst others were all big influences for me. These were all bands exploding from my hometown area during a time where I was still developing my own craft. When you see bands that go to the same Starbucks as you, you begin to really feel like, “Man I can do this too!” Other bands like Death Cab For Cutie, Jimmy Eat World, Brand New, Say Anything, Chvrches, Thrice, Explosions in the Sky, and Ryan Adams to name just a few are all bands that I continue to draw inspiration from. I can’t speak on behalf of the entire band when it comes to specifics, but we all are very moved by so many types of music, literature, movies, and life experiences. I think that honestly accepting our eclectic influences attributes to our overall sound.
You recently played an acoustic show with your keyboardist, Kat Stein, and your January release, “Drifter,” is very acoustic-based. Do you have any plans to release acoustic versions of your tracks in the future?
We actually have been asked to play acoustic a lot lately for various house shows and little radio interviews. We thought it would be a good idea to prepare alternate acoustic version of most of our catalog for those situations. Most of the song ideas started on acoustic guitar or piano, so it is fun to strip them back down and preform the basic ideas. At this current time we don’t have any plans on releasing an acoustic record, but you can find a lot of the acoustic sessions we did for some interviews floating around. But you never know. It would be really cool to put out a small EP with some tunes re-imagined.
Sonnder’s latest track, “I Need” (Feat. Keely Sibilia), is scheduled for release on July 31st, but you can hear it now exclusively on the SplashFlood music app here: SplashFlood – I Need (Feat. Keely Sibilia) by Sonnder
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