Soko
A self-described alien, Soko returns with her sophomore album, My Dreams Dictate My Reality. The album, which lends influence to The Cure, is welcomingly darker than her former folk debut. Currently in France prepping for her role as Loïe Fuller, famed dancer and muse to Toulouse-Lautrec and the Lumière Brothers, in The Dancer, we chat with the multi-hyphenate about dreams, directing music videos, and the joys of collaboration.
The full story will be in Rogue's print debut in September. Stay tuned.
On Writing My Dreams Dictate My Reality:
"I wrote pretty much the whole record within a couple of weeks but not even realizing that I was writing a record. I was alone in Paris and my ex-girlfriend just broke up with me and I was just like oh, okay. Well, now I've nothing else to do but write. I already knew exactly the sound I wanted, I already knew all the arrangements I wanted."
On Los Angeles:
"I feel like L.A. everyday is the weekend. If I'm in L.A., go to the beach, go to Cinespia on Saturday nights, the movies at the cemetery. My friend hosts it and it's always awesome. He has picnics in the cemetery then watch movies. Then maybe drive to some hot springs and then go to the roller rink or laser tag and then go see some awesome shows. We listen to good records and make good playlists for the car and go on walks and hang out with my girlfriend."
On Acting:
"I hate the life of an actor. It's so hard, y'know? Just like waiting for the phone to ring and going on auditions and stuff. I don't do that. I'm already super satisfied with my life and musicians. I play music, I record, I direct my own music videos and have a lot of fun with that. And then when something comes up movie-wise, then I consider it but it's each time a sacrifice. I mean, I sacrifice my whole life right now to tell someone else's story and it's a big commitment for me and so I don't do it very often. It has to be very special for me to do it."
On Getting Her Audience Topless:
"First time it happened was in Savannah, GA. We were playing in a record store called Graveface, which is an amazing record store. It was so hot. The humidity in Savannah was 100% that day so everyone was pouring sweat and there was no AC in the store and everyone was like, 'Oh my god, it's so hot!' And I was like, yeah, it's so hot. We couldn't stand let alone play and someone was like, 'Take your clothes off!' I was like, YOU! Take your clothes off! So she was like, I'll do it if you do it. And I was like, I'll do it if you do it. And then that person took their top off and was like, 'Now you take your top off.' And I looked at my whole band and was like okay, I'll just do it if everyone does it. I was like, if the whole room takes their top off, I'll do it and my whole band will do it. it lasted for 5 minutes and then everyone was naked and that was fun."
Interview by Jordan Blakeman
Photography by Aysha Banos
