Thurston Moore to release memoir ‘Sonic Life’ in October
It has been announced that former Sonic Youth guitarist and vocalist Thruston Moore is releasing his memoir, Sonic Life, on October 24th. Arriving via Doubleday Books in the US and Faber & Faber in the UK, it follows ex-wife and bandmate Kim Gordon’s 2015 autobiography, Girl in a Band, which discussed 30 years in the New York group, their breakup and the divorce from Moore.
Writing on his Facebook page, Moore said: “Sonic Life tells the story of my childhood and teenage years as I fell in love with music (for the most part unbridled rock’ n’ roll) and how it drove me to New York City, where I would co-found Sonic Youth. It’s an adventure that would take me around the globe throughout the 1980s, 90s, and onward, engaging with the magic music of visionaries, artists, and wild angels turning the world on its ear.”
“This book has been ages in the making, the product of intensive research and deep dives into my memories and emotions,” he continues. “I believe I’ve been able to capture the whirlwind of experiences that being in Sonic Youth entailed, as well as the creative communities that we found ourselves a part of, first in New York’s punk and no wave scenes, and later in the world of underground and alternative rock and the universe of music beyond category. In some ways it barely scrapes the surface, but I’m proud of it and anxious to hear what everyone thinks.”
Moore then shared short accounts about his memoir by the writers Colson Whitehead, Nell Zink, and Hilton Als. The latter describes it as “a moving meditation by a creative force.” Elsewhere, the Patti Smith Group’s Lenny Kaye says: “Thurston Moore traverses his journey from ardent fan to revolutionary instigator, sharing his love of transgressive soundscapes and finding ever new guitar tunings for his celebration of song.”
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