Thurston Moore To Release Memoir About Sonic Youth In October

Thurston Moore, the ex-vocalist, and guitarist of Sonic Youth will release a memoir about his time in the band called Sonic Life on 24 October (US date).

Moore’s book follows his ex-wife and fellow Sonic Youth bandmate Kim Gordon’s memoir, Girl In A Band, released in 2015.

Announcing Sonic Life on social media, Moore wrote, “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.”

Accompanying his announcement is a couple of blurbs from peers in music, such as writers Colson Whitehead, Hilton Als and Nell Zink, and the Patti Smith Group guitarist, Lenny Kaye.

Kaye said, “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.”

Moore also teased upcoming “events, UK and international editions, and a slew of other surprises” to come with Sonic Life.

In February 2021, Thurston Moore surprise-released an instrumental album, Screen Time, for Bandcamp Friday.

The Bandcamp Friday initiative began in March 2020, when the US online audio distribution platform waived its share of revenue and donated all sales to artists on Bandcamp for 24 hours. It continued monthly in 2020 and extended into 2021 and 2022.

The next Bandcamp Friday begins in eight hours, followed by 4 August, 1 September, 6 October, 3 November, and 1 December.