The Soft Moon Talks Transforming Personal Pain Into Artistic Gain

There’s self-loathing, and then there’s The Soft Moon. “I wish I could be somebody else/Cause it burns,” founder, frontman, and songwriter Luis Vasquez wails on “Burn,” the opening track of his latest and most successful album yet, 2018’s Criminal.

Where on previous LPs, the Californian's music was all but devoid of lyrics, Vasquez discovered a newfound taste for introspection on Criminal, utilizing his darker thoughts to coddle listeners in tearing (but danceable) synths and drum patterns. It added a fresh dimension to The Soft Moon’s distinctively industrial and pummeling take on post-punk, which continues to garner rave reviews.

Ahead of his Mar 31 gig at Omni Space, Vasquez tells us about finding solace through penning lyrics, about moving to Berlin to write Criminal without knowing a soul there, and more. 

I’ve been lucky to have received mostly positive reviews for my music throughout my career so far. Back when I started this project is when others opinions mattered to me and heavily affected me. 

I would dwell on a negative comment for weeks, and I would use positive comments to propel me forward. 

It took a lot of work to get to the mindset I am at now, and for the most part, although I always consider the listener when writing songs, I am more focused on expressing myself 100 percent because it's how I feel most fulfilled.

Expressing inner struggles is a way to reach peace with yourself. However, I didn’t purposely choose to talk about my problems with the past. I guess it was just something that had to happen in order to heal. 

Many fans have opened up with me about their lives and I’m honored to discover if I have helped someone in any way.

Isolation during the creative process helps me open up completely and allows me to create more freely. I don’t want anyone else’s ideas or opinions to pollute my expression. 

My music is about my journey through life and no one else can see, hear, feel, and experience it the way I do. 

Both happiness and negativity inspire my creativity. In fact, everything can. It’s all about how you dissect it and translate it into your own personal art to share with the word.

The Soft Moon will perform at Omni Space on Mar 31. Tickets are RMB 240 on the door or RMB 180 advance.

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Photos: MCR Live, Bandcamp, courtesy of the promoters