Desolation Girl and Ness recently sat down with Chris Sheppard and Collins Kilgore of Arkansas emo band Everyone Asked About You ahead of their October 16th headlining show at Bottom of the Hill. Tune in on Sunday, October 13th at 1pm to hear their conversation.
Penned between heated sessions of Mario Kart 64 and Goldeneye, Little Rock, Arkansas high school quartet Everyone Asked About You developed their own take on the emo sound that was sweeping the midwest in the late-‘90s. The band’s original lineup consisted of Chris Sheppard, Lee Buford, Collins Kilgore, and Hannah Vogan, who bonded over a shared love for bands like Unwound and released their self-titled debut EP in 1997. Although the release received mixed reviews, the band’s earnest lyrics and guitar-driven, twinkly, and twee sensibilities helped them develop a dedicated fanbase in the Southern US scene. John Beachboard and Matt Bradley later joined in 1998, incorporating synthesizers into their sound, influenced by bands like The Rentals and Rainer Maria.
Everyone Asked About You broke up in 2000, but their music eventually reemerged as part of the contemporary emo canon in the early 2010s through YouTube, music blogs, and social media. Their music resonated deeply with a new generation, resulting in a release of their shelved debut album, 1999’s Let’s Be Enemies, in 2012 and a 2023 collection of their complete discography by Numero Group, Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts. The band reunited for their first show in 23 years in the winter of 2022 and kept the momentum going with a brand new EP, Never Leave, in October 2024 followed by a string of West Coast tour dates.
With their headlining dates and a slot at the early-emo-juggernaut Best Friends Forever Festival on the horizon, the recent success of Everyone Asked About You is definitely better late than never. In the interview, Chris and Collins talk about who they’re excited to catch at BFF Fest, how their reunion shows differ from their tours in the 90s, working with Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman, Wednesday, Indigo de Souza), and what’s coming next for the band.
Photo: Daniel Bergeron
