WATASHI WA - Roger Tompkins

Can you give me a little bit of background about the band, and how it started?
The band basically started seven years ago when we were freshmen in high school. Seth was already playing music and one by one we came together. Seth, Lane, and I have been together since then. We love playing music together more than anything and I think we will be together for a very long time.

"Watashi Wa" is "I am" in Japanese, what's the story behind picking that name?
The band was named by a friend. He's named a lot of bands including Noggin Toboggan, Inspector 56, and Ro Sham Bo.

What are some of your influences?
I'm influenced by all kinds of different things. Mostly I'm influenced by the fact that I've never done anything that I love as much as this so I want to keep doing it for as long as I can.

What was your first show like, and how many people were there?
My first show with Lane and Seth was at Jeff Newsom's (singer of Noggin Toboggan) birthday party. I believe it was the Fall of 1997. There were a lot of friends there. We played in his parents driveway.

What's your fanbase like?
From what I can tell, it's pretty diverse. I would like to think so anyways. A lot of younger people.. kids our age.

What was it like to get signed to T & N? How long did it take before a big label picked you up?
Getting signed to Tooth & Nail was very exciting at the time, and over the past few years it has turned into a lot of good friendships and a lot of positive experiences. As far as I know, they picked us up pretty quickly after they heard about us.. but we had already been a band for over four years.

What were some of the rough things the band went through to get where you are today?
The hardest things to go through are the times when you're not sure if you want to keep going. When it doesn't seem to be going anywhere and other opportunities keep passing you by. I think anything is like that though. Sometimes when you're in the middle of something it can be hard to see what it really is. If you step back and look at far how you've come and remember all the things about it that you love, it doesn't seem like it would ever be possible to really quit.

What's one of the best shows you've played? How many people/what was the response?
I think that one of the best (most enjoyable) shows we've ever played was at Jerry's Pizza in Bakersfield, CA. There were only two or three people there but sometimes it just clicks and it feels good in your head. That's why we've done it for this long I guess.

What's your favorite song to play live? What's your favorite WW song in general?
My favorite song to play is called "Photographs". It's a new song that we started playing just to see if people liked it or not and it just feels really good every time we play it. I love the words and the way it makes you feel. It's hard to pick a favorite song in general. You put so much work into every song and like them all for different reasons. Some of our first songs bring back the greatest memories, so I love them even though I know they're not the greatest songs.

What's the best thing about being in a band?
You get to experience so many things that you wouldn't get to experience otherwise. The opportunity to see the country, meet people and make new friends in every state, and all of that with a few best friends. Writing and playing songs is also an amazing feeling. I don't have enough talent to ever do it on my own, so I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of a group that I believe in this much

What are some CDs currently in your CD player?
Pedro the Lion - Achilles Heel
The Postal Service - Give Up
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Bjork - Vespertine
Nothing too crazy..

Some favorite bands?
Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Porno for Pyros, mewithoutYou, Pedro the Lion, all kinds of different stuff..

With Luke leaving, does that put a damper on things?
It does and it doesn't. It's a very sad time but it's also a very exciting time. If there's one thing I've learned it's that you can't get bent out of shape when something happens that you didn't plan on. I'm very excited to see what the future holds for us.

It's nice to finally see a band that's open about their faith, do you ever share it at shows?
Finally? The only time I ever share my faith is when I feel called to do so. I wouldn't ever feel right forcing it from a stage every night. But being on tour definitely gives you the chance to talk to people that you normally wouldn't and I've had countless conversations with people about faith and religion. One of the most rewarding things is to be able to really listen to someone and encourage them.