Spotlight: Soklo

Written by: Chris Arencibia

As anyone who's spent time in the music industry knows, you're bound to come across plenty of colorful characters in every corner of the business. While most of these interactions can feel like spinning wheels or just be down right unpleasant, every now and then someone unexpected might introduce you to a truly great band or artist.

Soklo is one of the best - an LA based singer/songwriter who formerly fronted NYC alternative band The Living Strange. Having established himself in the DIY music scene with his fuzzed out synth and heavy alternative rock songs, Soklo has performed on KEXP with Seattle’s Scarves, and most recently earned a Fender sponsorship. And now he's stepping out solo.

Skylyne recently sat down with Soklo to chat about his new solo project, experiences in the industry, and much more.

SKYLYNE: You’ve been one of my favorite artists for a while now. Was there a moment in your life when you decided you were going to pursue music or have you always known?

SOKLO: I have played music since I was a little kid and have always loved it. I look at music less as a pursuit and more as a way to exist. Making music is one of the main reasons why I get up in the morning.

SKYLYNE: What led to your current project’s sound? Have you been developing it for a long time or did it come naturally?

SOKLO: The sound of my latest stuff was formed through making music alone. A lot of my musical journey has revolved around making music with other people, combining our influences together to create something that borrows from all of our corners. With Soklo, I have developed a sensibility of these simple folk song structures, aided by my taste for production that takes risks and keeps things colorful. Most of this music is music that I wish I had made earlier but didn’t allow myself to because I thought it wouldn’t go over well live or I was pressured by those around me to try and keep things as poppy (their idea of what pop is, not even what it actually is) as possible.

SKYLYNE: Interesting that you mention that, because I’ve always found people’s definition of “pop music” to be fascinating. How does your definition of pop differ from how others you’ve worked with define it?

SOKLO: I think that there’s two definitions, there’s pop music as in - music and styles that are popular right now but there’s also pop music as a way of composing any genre. I view it more as the former but I think that it doesn’t matter what is considered pop as long as the conversation of making music is authentic. My issue has been working with people who want to steer me in an inauthentic dialogue for the sake of making something that they perceive will be successful.

SKYLYNE: You also mentioned this music’s sound is born out of creating music alone. Are you currently collaborating with anyone or is this purely a solo project moving forward?

SOKLO: This is definitely a solo project but I have some collaborations in store. I’m releasing a song that I wrote with Matt Johnson, a drummer who’s incredibly talented and has played with so many incredible artists like St Vincent and Jeff Buckley. The song also features one of my favorite collaborators, Heather Elle, of Flossing. In general, I aim to foster collaboration when it feels good but I also appreciate the ability to make things alone.

SKYLYNE: The first time I saw you perform live, I was blown away by your stage presence. What goes into your preparation for the stage, and how do you keep your audience so locked in?

SOKLO: I just aim to be in the moment with my performances. I used to not use a setlist and just play whatever song felt right in the room. With Soklo, that’s kind of where I’m at with it also. I’ve had different types of shows - some of which are deeply structured and the same every time and others that are built on improvisation. At this moment, it’s important to me to play to the room and perform authentically. I just don’t want the performances to not fit the spaces that they are in.

SKYLYNE: What comes first, in your songwriting process, the lyrics or the music?

SOKLO: Usually the music, although lately I have been just jumping in and freestyling both at the same time. I like to sit with a nylon string guitar and truly just play a song that didn’t previously exist. It requires allowing yourself to sing stupid things sometimes and to not edit yourself initially. I work as a music teacher and through that, I learn so much music on the fly so I’m constantly engaging with different song forms and styles. Through that, it’s made it much easier for me to improvise a song in full.

SKYLYNE: I know you recently made the move from the east coast to the west. What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed between the New York music scene and LA?

SOKLO: Being totally honest, both scenes have a lot to offer, although I believe that the indie music scene in New York is better in terms of the amount of great artists and places to play. That said, I am from LA and have wanted to return for more reasons than just music so returning has been necessary for me. In the LA music scene, there are some great artists as well, but there are definitely more clout chasing weenies than in New York.

SKYLYNE: Do you think it’s easier or more difficult to make it in the music industry today vs the industry pre-internet?

SOKLO: In some ways, it’s easier to build your own fanbase and gain recognition that you likely never would have in a pre-internet world. In others, it’s more competitive and ultimately - major labels still have a chokehold on so many facets of the “independent” music industry, that without some sort of financial support, it’s much more difficult. No label is going to loan you a ton of money to build a fanbase without you first building it yourself - which can often cost a lot of money to do. I think the internet is also responsible for music culture being less tangible in some way and I don’t think it’s cool to sit in front of a computer all day, though I do exactly that sometimes.

SKYLYNE: I’m sure you’ve experienced working with a lot of different types of people and companies in the music industry. What are some people or services that have been the most helpful in your career? What has been the least helpful?

SOKLO: The most helpful services have been distributors that make it easy to release music. I haven’t really encountered any fan building ‘service’ that has made meaningful change for me, other than using Tik Tok. With Tik Tok, what you put into it is what you get out of it, and I’ve found that the more I put into it, the more listeners and fans I get. The least helpful services have been anything that has halted me from making progress - like for instance, management that doesn’t understand the way the music industry works nowadays.

SKYLYNE: What’s your Mount Rushmore of the best artists of all time?

SOKLO: I have primarily only listened to music that has literally come out this year because I was too deep into my all time favs. What I will do is give four super known ones but also four that I love to listen to, who released music this year. My famous Mount Rushmore is Radiohead, Nina Simone, The Byrds, and Pharoah Sanders. My less known but nonetheless great artists would be - Guerilla Toss, Young Fathers, Underscores, and Geese.

SKYLYNE: What do you hope listeners take away from your new music?

SOKLO: I hope that listeners feel anything from the music - positive or negative. I am making this music both for myself and to share my feelings with others and I hope it reaches them in the same way that making the music reaches me.

SKYLYNE: Here’s your spotlight - tell us what you have going on and what’s coming up.

SOKLO: I’m kicking off releases with “She’s Golden” - a love song about writing a song because you’re so in love. I’ll be releasing singles all throughout 2024 and playing on the west coast.