Sonic life

The founder of the legendary Sonic Youth looks back on his punk roots and iconic experimentation.

New York, late 1970s. The city is gripped by a housing crisis, social decay and loud guitars. An unknown young man moves to Manhattan, soaking up the atmosphere and the artistic surge of the punk, poetry and art scenes. He discovers names like Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, Ramones, Patti Smith and more. But he wants to explore further, experiment more and turn up the volume. In 1981, together with Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo, he forms the now legendary Sonic Youth. The critically acclaimed avant-garde band soon becomes a respected mainstay of the most famous festivals and clubs. And throughout it all, Thurston Moore continues his quest to discover new sounds and people. In his memoir Sonic Life, he looks back on his career, from its beginnings in the New York punk scene to the success of Sonic Youth and his endless fascination with music and sound.

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In his memoir Sonic Life, Thurston Moore takes readers on a journey through his musical career – from the days he idolised Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and Ron Asheton, to the moments he shared the stage with them. At the same time, he maps the evolution of rock music across the decades – from punk and hardcore to new wave, no wave, indie and grunge.
— Vanity Fair