Setting: The Cake Room at the Puget Sound Christian Center.

Brianna: Okay, so first of all, how did you guys get your name?
Rachel: Well that was actually me.
Trevor: Take it.
Rachel: Umm, we got our name, uhh it’s about basically, I don’t know, I wanted to make sure that the next music project I did, I don’t know, that we kind of blended in with the crowd and it’s basically about how we’re no better than anyone else and He Is We is basically…it’s like we’re all connected. You know, no one is better, no one is separated as much as you’d like to think that you’re your own person…you’re actually connected to a buttload of people in like a community.
Trevor: Buttload.
Rachel: Can I say buttload?
Trevor: You can say buttload.
Brianna: So you had a previous band before?
Rachel: Yeah, just like a little thingy, I had it when I was like 15 years old and then we had this random, I’m from the San Juan Islands and so you get bored on San Juan so you either do drugs, play music or both and I played music. So we started a little project and they’re just little things, nothing serious. So I want to make sure that the next project is something that my heart is into. Yeah?

Brianna: Just so you know, some of these are going to be pretty cliché. How long have you guys been together [as a band]?
Trevor: Uhh, September of ’08.
Brianna: That’s it?!
Trevor: That’s it.
Brianna: Wow!
Rachel: That’s actually where I met him, it was the end of August.
Trevor: End of August, beginning of September, got hired on by Ted Brown’s.
Rachel: They ended up keeping him, ended up keeping me and we met and we talked and figured out that we both wanted to play music.

Brianna: Okay, why do you think so many teenagers admire your music?
Rachel: Because Trevor looks like Jesse McCartney (laughs)
Trevor: (laughs) No I think it’s actually because of the name; because we’re no better than the person next to us, you know, we’re all equals. We’re not better than the person standing on stage or off stage, people can relate to it. Rachel’s lyrics and melodies are so catchy whether you’re listening to the lyrics or not, you’re going to relate to it. Whether it’s catchy to you and you don’t know what she’s singing because she’s singing so fast or it’s because you think that she wrote that song for you. You know what I mean? It’s just like music you can relate to but yet you don’t have to put on this front that we’re better than anybody else.
Rachel: Well, lyrically speaking, I’ve had a pretty cliché high school/middle school girl life, when it comes to boys and not liking my parents, so when I write about that stuff I think the reason teenagers kind of fancy it a wee bit is because it’s totally what they’re going through right now. It’s like “Oh my goodness, she knows what I mean!” So I’ve already lived it and I’m just retelling it in a music form and I think that’s why they kind of find comfort in it.
Brianna: And I think anyone will love it. My 47-year-old mom loves it, soooo…
Rachel: Yeah, that’s cute.
Trevor: It’s like a never-ending story.

Brianna: So where do you get your inspiration when writing songs?
Trevor: Musically, honestly, I listen to bloody metal. Rachel listens to metal, rap, anything really. So musically it’s like a conundrum of everything.
Rachel: Is that the word? Conundrum?
Trevor: I don’t know if that’s the right word.
Rachel: Isn’t a conundrum like something you can’t solve? We’re a boiling pot.
Trevor: Yeah, we’re a melting pot (laughs). Uhh, it’s music you can relate to. I mean, we’re trying to write stuff that’s catchy to us and we like. It seems like so many other bands are trying to write stuff that they, themselves aren’t content with. And we’re trying to make it so we like it just as much.
Rachel: Yeah. Lyrically… [The interview took a little pause while some upcoming events were being discussed through them and some acquaintances.] What was it?
Trevor: What inspires you?
Rachel: My life, movies, which is really weird. A lot of it is just kind of stuff that happens. Not long ago I was walking down the hall just dee dee dee doo doo doo, just humming something and then from there we were just like “Oh, we’re vibing this”. But sometimes it’s just something I hear in my head and then we go from there. As far as lyrics, there’s no specific artist that we look to, it’s more of our day to day life.

Brianna: So which songs are special to you and why?
Trevor: Uh personal favorites, that’s awful. Oh man, favorite song, I knew she was gonna stump me.
Rachel: [Taking over the reins while Trevor thinks about it] Okay, “Radio” is one of my favorites because I wrote it when I was 15 and to see where it’s gotten to now when I’m 19 is spectacular. And then “A Mess It Grows” because it’s what brought us to a full band, it kind of pushed our sound to a whole new level and that was one of the first songs we recorded as a band.
Trevor: I don’t have a favorite, everyone’s gonna read this and think it’s horrible that I don’t have a favorite. If I had to pick any favorite it would probably be “A Mess It Grows” because it brought us to where we are and it’s our first song on iTunes, first release, but when we’re writing we always try to go in with the mentality that “Oh, this next song’s gonna be our favorite.” When you look back in retrospect I mean they’re all…
Rachel: They’re our babies.
Trevor: They’re our babies, so don’t talk trash about them (laughs).

Brianna: I heard from Jeff that you recently went to New York to showcase for some labels. How did that go?
Rachel: It was definitely an experience, it was definitely nerve-racking. It opened SO many doors, it was incredible. We’re still babies to the music world so having that opportunity was incredible. We got introduced to some amazing people who are helping us out.
Trevor: 90% of where we’ve gotten is from that one trip to New York. It taught us take every opportunity you get, you can’t pass it up.

Brianna: Are you in the process of any record deals at the moment?
Trevor: Uhh…
Brianna: If you can’t say, that’s fine.
Rachel: Well we’re headed to New York for showcasing. There’s a lot of talk but that’s all we know. There’s a lot of hype and talk going on right now and we have a lot of meetings but as far as record contracts go…they’re being negotiated right now. They’re in the process.

Brianna: What was your reaction when your song went on iTunes?
Trevor: Oh man.
Rachel: It was really exciting.
Trevor: Exciting because it’s your first release and you want to see how your baby’s doing. I mean, it wasn’t anticipated so it was a great opportunity. We have a great fan base and they can’t download them so iTunes is a great starting point.

Brianna: Do you get any pre-show jitters or do you stay pretty calm and relaxed?
Rachel: I get butterflies. We collectively decided that we no longer get nerves like “Oh gosh, do you think we can do this?” it’s more like butterflies like “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Trevor: Yeah, it’s a different type of butterflies. You know, you’re not nervous because you’re afraid of failing or something like that, it’s more nervous like “Oh my gosh, we have so much power in our hands to reach so many kids. There are so many kids here that came to see US.”
Rachel: There’s a lot of pressure. But we always do our prayer before we play and it usually calms us down a lot and we always have friends in the audience when we’re playing so…
Trevor: We have that level of comfortability.
Rachel: It eliminates any jitters if we have the friendly faces in the crowd.
[The interview moved to the bathroom to reduce some of the noise of the band performing.]

Brianna: But if no one’s ever heard you before are you nervous of their reaction?
Trevor: Oh, like showcasing. That was pretty nerve-racking. Instead of having an audience your age and kids that might have heard your songs before, it’s more like you’re playing for these executives. So there’s like this forty-year-old head honcho that’s worth like $4 million and you’re sitting there playing for him and he’s got this face and you’re like, “I hope he’s liking this.”
Rachel: Yeah, certainly.

Brianna: How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you before?
Rachel: Hmmm, we’ve been asked this before and we never know what to say. I always tell people it’s easy music like, on our Myspace for a while didn’t it say that we’re like a hot cup of cocoa on a rainy day? You know, we want to be that comforting sound. We want to be the sound when you break up, we want to be the sound when you get a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Our sound sets the mood for any trial or tribulation that takes place.
Trevor: You know, music you WANT to listen to, not music you’re forced to listen to because other people are playing it; music you actually want to go out of your way to listen to. That’s how I describe it.
Rachel: Well that’s what we’re aiming for.
Trevor: Yeah.
Rachel: Uh, as far as comparing it with artists, it’s like a mix of Eisley, Tegan and Sara, and…
Trevor: Bonnie and Clyde.
Rachel: No.
Trevor: Sonny and Cher, I don’t know!
Rachel: Celine Dion and Elton John, if they had a baby…
Trevor: It would be us.
Rachel: With Eric Clapton.
Trevor: Yeah, something like that.

Brianna: So what musicians have been most influential in your life and why?
Rachel: Eisley.
Trevor: Uh, I am a fanatic of Ryan Tedder and if you don’t know who he is, he is the lead singer of One Republic. But I am obsessed with him, I worship the ground he walks on, not really, but really…
Rachel: No, I agree with you.
Trevor: And Rachel agrees with me.
Rachel: Super duper talented. But I love Taylor Swift, I think she’s amazing. I don’t necessarily look up to her as an artist but I want to kind of be looked at like people look at her. That pure heart and her lyrics, even if they’re like “Oh boys, dumb!” She’s real and I love that.
[We are interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door.]
Rachel: [Talking to the guy at the door] Dude, I could have been pooping (laughs). Is it still recording?
Brianna: Yeah
[Laughter]

Brianna: So, if you could do a cover of any song, what would it be?
Trevor: Ahh, we were just talking about this.
Rachel: Oh, “I can show you the world!” Oh, no. What did we say?!
Trevor: Electric Avenue! [Rachel and Trevor then sing the chorus]
Rachel: Electric Avenue or “’Til Now…”
Trevor: Celine Dion.
Rachel: No, that’s not Celine Dion, that’s Heart.
Trevor: No, that’s Celine Dion.
Rachel: No, I SWEAR that’s Heart.
Trevor: I swear to you I googled it.
Rachel: Do you have an iPhone?
Brianna: No.
Rachel: I’m gonna have Brad…
Trevor: Call.
Rachel: Hold on…hold on.
Trevor: You can ask us another question while we’re doing this if it’s cool. You can say we’re arguing.

Brianna: Okay, uhh (laughs), if you two were not musicians where do you think your future would be heading?
[The conversation leans toward the friendly competition once again]
Rachel: It’s so on!
Trevor: Dude, I’m gonna win and if I win…
Rachel: Oh, can I tell her the answer?
Trevor: Yeah.
Brianna: I didn’t mean to start a competition, sorry (laughs)
Rachel: No, (laughs). I would be a teacher, an elementary school teacher specializing in autism and then from there I want to get my doctorate in psychology and work specifically with children with autism and special needs.
Brianna: That’s a really good goal.
Rachel: Oh, but for now I just hum tunes and record them.
Trevor: I want to be like that dumb kid who was always like “Yeah, I would be in a band” but I would be doing music whether it would be like still playing at church, leading worship, or in a metal band, or just writing stuff by myself and recording it or maybe just learning the traits of the arts; stuff like that is probably what I’d be doing.

Brianna: Okay, and lastly, this one’s just for fun, if you could be any superhero who would it be and why?
[Long pause]
Trevor: You go.
Rachel: Why do you always do that?!
Trevor: Because I need more time to think. Your brain processes faster.
Rachel: Okay, if I could be any superhero I would say Spiderman…
Brianna: Me too.
Rachel: I think it’s super cool because he can live a normal life but he can also Tarzan the crap out of buildings.
Trevor: Tarzan the crap out of buildings.
Rachel: Yup. I love that all of his powers are completely natural like he got bit by a spider, like that’s sick. You know, Superman is all “Bahhh, I’m really tough.” But Spiderman, he has potential and with that mask, I don’t cuuuur. [Trevor snickers] I don’t cuuuur.
Trevor: Please quote her on that, “He’s got potential with that mask, yo!” Umm, dude, I don’t know! People are going to hate me if I say I don’t like comics.
Rachel: No, what about the Incredibles? You could be the speedster, the little kid.
Brianna: Dash.
Rachel: Yeah, Dash!
Trevor: No, I don’t know, I think it’d be pretty cool to be Luigi off Mario but that’s not really a superhero.
Rachel: That would work.
Trevor: Ha, I want to be Luigi.
Rachel: That’s your answer?
Trevor: Yeah, that’s my answer.
Rachel: And I could be Yoshi.
Trevor: And I could ride you.
Rachel: Uh no, that’s wrong.
[Laughter]

Trevor later decided he wanted to be Captain Planet due to his awesome green mullet which enabled Rachel to want to become Captain Crunch.