Common People’s origin story includes friendship, college parties, and what they considered an excessive amount of DJing at USC. Their solution? Start playing the parties themselves. Honestly, identifying a problem and forming a band to fix it feels like a considerably more productive college experience than my usual approach: complaining to a friend and opening another tab. During our conversation at Austin City Limits, Common People discussed finding their sound together, meeting listeners across the country, and protecting the friendship that started everything. First, though, we had a rumor to address: did their name come from a Scrabble game? According to the band, the actual story involved rushing to an early gig while needing a new name. Their drummer said, “Come on, people,” and the phrase caught everyone’s attention. Say it again, hear it differently, and suddenly: Common People. A band name born from trying to get everyone out the door. Somewhere, a chronically late friend deserves songwriting credit. That sense of working things out together also shapes their music. Early on, the process involved one member bringing songs in for the group to develop. More recently, they’ve made a deliberate effort to involve everyone from the beginning. Someone brings an idea, they get in a room, and the band starts building around it. Trusting each other’s taste makes that possible. Each person contributes their own style and influences, and the interesting part is discovering how those pieces fit together. They don’t always agree, either. But disagreement can lead them toward something they wouldn’t have found alone. Apparently, creative differences can be useful when everyone actually likes each other. Playing ACL represented a moment they were still trying to process. They described it as surreal to perform at a festival they would have been excited simply to attend. Being part of it, in a city with such a strong musical identity, made the experience even more meaningful. That disbelief extends to their fans. Before the interview, I had spoken with a listener who was excited I would be talking to them. Bringing that up prompted stories about meeting people who had connected with the band online, then showed up in person. At a recent Tulsa show, one fan drove five hours to see them. The band spoke about those gestures with gratitude, explaining that they want to return that support by bringing their best to every performance. As fans themselves, they understand how much a band can mean to someone. As their audience grows, they want authenticity to remain constant. They also want to hold onto the feeling of traveling together, playing music they love, and enjoying the company. “We were friends first,” they said. Some of those friendships reach back to their early teens. That history matters as they navigate the experience of making music and crossing the country together. Their ambitions can grow, but the foundation is already there: friendship, mutual trust, and a love of live music. And if their schedule ever runs late, at least they already have the perfect phrase to get everyone moving.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St. John's chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.