Sonic Youth co-founding member Thurston Moore chronicles his musical journey in new memoir, 'Sonic Life'

Thurston Moore with Patti Smith at the 1995 Lowell Celebrates Kerouac weekend in Massachusetts. (Courtesy of Chris Cuneo)

Thurston Moore is the cofounding guitar player and vocalist of the band Sonic Youth.

His new memoir, titled “Sonic Life” (released Oct. 24 on Doubleday), tells the story of a lifetime spent immersed in music, from growing up in Bethel, Connecticut, to discovering downtown New York’s music scene of the late 1970s and early ‘80s.

Moore had a front-row seat to witness the emergence of New York’s punk, new wave, hardcore and indie rock scenes.



His memoir is a tribute to these creative musical communities that inspired him to redefine the trajectory of guitars in rock music while carrying the spirit of the avant-garde to wholly new peaks for both mainstream and underground music.

Sonic Youth went on to define the indie and alternative rock scenes of the ‘90s through albums like Daydream Nation, Goo and Dirty, until disbanding in 2011, two years after releasing their final album, “The Eternal,” for Matador Records.

“The Eternal” entered the U.S. Billboard chart at No. 18, making it Sonic Youth’s highest-charting album of their career. Soon after its arrival, word spread that Moore’s marriage to Sonic Youth’s bass player and vocalist Kim Gordon had come to an end.

Moore, who currently lives in London, planned to be in Atlanta on Monday evening at the Plaza Theatre supporting his new book. Unfortunately, he recently had to cancel his full U.S. tour due to a health issue. However, in this interview, he joined “City Lights” music contributor Chad Radford to talk about his book and his lifelong musical journey. 

You can learn more about Moore’s new book, “Sonic Life,” here.