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It’s often said that people who want to stay friends should never work together. But for Indianapolis-based rockers Same As Sunday, their long-standing friendships, shared musical influences and tight-knit sense of community make their creative collaboration all the sweeter. After all, they are friends first and bandmates second, a distinction that continues to define Same As Sunday as they criss-cross the country, playing songs from their latest project: Earn Your Stripes.
A hybrid of pop, punk, and hardcore sounds the band describes succinctly as “heavy pop/punk,” Same As Sunday started like many groups do—humbly. Playing in backyards and garages for anyone who’d listen, it wasn’t long after their high school graduation that Chris (lead vocals, guitar), Kmart (guitar/vocals), Nick (bass, vocals) and Andy “the” Heck (drums/vocals) knew that music was more than just a hobby; it was their life’s calling.
“When I was in school, I always found myself more interested in what was going on with the band than my actual homework,” Kmart says. “As time went on, that only got worse, and it wasn’t long before I started touring with Same As Sunday.”
Influenced by a wide range of artists including Blink 182, Relient K, New Found Glory, The Devil Wears Prada and yes, even a few hair bands thanks to Nick, Same As Sunday writes energetic anthems that reflect every aspect of the human experience—faith, relationships, and the ups and downs of life in a fallen world.
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Featuring a refreshing sense of lyrical honesty and an insatiably catchy sound brimming with frenetic musical energy, Same As Sunday has a broad range of appeal. Once named “Unsigned Band of the Month” by Alternative Press, Same As Sunday has played the famed Warped Tour as well as churches, which is just the way they like it.
“I absolutely love encouraging the flock, but our hearts are for the mainstream scene as well. Our message of love is meant for the whole world,” Andy says. “And if we’re playing in both types of venues, we have the best chance of spreading that Message.”
Whether they’re singing a thought-provoking, call-to-action anthem like “Roads?,” reflecting on a painful breakup in “The Opposite of Two” or lamenting betrayal at the hands of a close friend in the decidedly Shakespearian “Exits and Entrances,” Same As Sunday urges listeners to live each day with purpose.
“It’s so easy to go to church on Sunday, the day that people typically choose to get their lives in order, have a great experience, and then live the rest of the week in a way that’s completely unaffected” Chris says. “That’s why we sing about the things we do, and why our name is Same As Sunday. We want people to live every day as if it were a Sunday…as if every day could be their last.”
Putting the proverbial feet to his desire to live intentionally, Chris, who’s been with the United States Air Force for four years, was recently deployed to an undisclosed location for Operation Enduring Freedom, where he’ll work as a firefighter.
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I volunteered because I felt it something I was called to do—to serve,” Chris shares. “I’m going to be away for five months, and the band will press ahead while I’m gone. But I’m excited about what God will do while I’m there, and I should be home just after Christmas.”
The experience of serving his country has not only been an important reminder of the encouraging words written in Isaiah 12:2: “Surely, God is my Salvation: I will trust and not be afraid,” but it also inspired the title track from Earn Your Stripes.
“It is comforting to know that if we place our confidence in the Living God, there is nothing in this world that we need to fear,” Chris adds. “The bridge of ‘Earn Your Stripes’ says, ‘It’s kill or be killed; let’s seize the day/If God is for us, who can stand in our way?/Let them know, let them know.” The Lord calls us not only to place our faith in Him, but also to spread His word among the nations. We have made that the mission and ministry of our band.”
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