Former Sonic Youth vocalist/guitarist Thurston Moore will release his memoir, Sonic Life, on Oct. 24 through Doubleday Books in the U.S. and Faber & Faber in the U.K. Sonic Life follows the 2015 release of Moore’s former wife and Sonic Youth bandmate Kim Gordon’s own memoir, Girl in a Band, which spared no detail about how Moore’s infidelity led to the demise of their marriage and the hugely influential Sonic Youth itself.
Writing on Facebook, Moore, 64, 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 shared short blurbs about Sonic Life from writers Colson Whitehead, Nell Zink, and Hilton Als, the latter of whom calls it “a moving meditation by a creative force.” Adds Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye, “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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A limited number of signed copies are available for pre-order through Miami-based Books & Books, and Moore says “events, U.K. and international editions, and a slew of other surprises” are forthcoming.
Moore’s most recent album under his own name was 2021’s Screen Time. Check out his upcoming tour dates in the U.K. and Europe here.
