boston progress radio

Sophia Moon is a Brooklyn native, but transferred herself to Boston to attend college at Brandeis University.  Upon graduation she decided to remain in the  Bean to pursue her singing career.  This has been met with much dedication and perseverance.  She juggles a conventional corporate job that pays the bills while collecting enough energy to create musically pleasing songs for our enjoyment.

When I first heard her sing at East Meets Words, I was treated to an array of sounds Sophia can take on: R&B, pop, and rock.  Her petite frame does not give clue to the strong belting voice that she possesses.  A timid Korean American she is not, maybe it’s the Brooklyn in her, or maybe I am just stereotyping that people from Brooklyn have a certain swagger.

After her performance I gladly purchased a CD of her original tracks.  I have to admit that when I am driving in my car, I find myself jamming to “Just the Way It Is,” and when it’s over I hit repeat, several times.

Jess Man: When are you coming out with your album?

Sophia Moon: I’m not 100% sure. Definitely around mid 2009 though.  That’s the goal.  Nowadays with online distribution we can make a huge dent without necessarily hitting stores yet.

JM: Are you with a label right now?

Sophia Moon: No, I am not with a label but I will be signed under management for booking and marketing purposes.  So technically, I am an independent artist still.  I have a lot of artistic control.

JM: Are all of your songs written by you, do you produce your own music too?

Sophia Moon: Not everything I write is right for me as an artist or represents where I am from.  Yes, all my songs up until now are written by me. I have one or two songs that are co-written and I am open to co-writing more, but I do not produce.  I am becoming a stronger vocal arranger so I dabble in that side of the production.

JM: I find that most of your songs are about love, why do you think people relate so well to love or break up songs?

Sophia Moon: A lot of my songs are about love because it is so universal.  Everyone has been in love or has had someone in love with them.  I think it’s safe to say that everyone understands love and heartbreak.  But even love is such a broad stroke on a palette.  Truth is there are so many things to say about love and heartbreak.  I recently wrote “Money Can’t Buy Love” and it talks about simple love.  “Playback” is about that crazy way love has to distract you.  “Remember” is a breakup song that tries to go back to the magic feeling people get when love is new.

JM: What place do you need to go to in order to sing with the different kinds of emotion that love brings?  How does it move you?  What do you want people to get out of it?

Sophia Moon: For love songs, I have found inspiration from my own experiences and from the experiences of people around me. When people hear my words and melodies, I want it to bring them to the same emotional place I am, with the one exception that they are relating from their own previous experience.

JM: Is each song biographical, in “Take Me Back” did you ever get back with the subject of the song?

Sophia Moon: (she laughs) Yes.  Now, not every song is biographical.  Most songs, but not all, I start off with some personal experience or feeling, but then the song kind of takes a life of its own.  (I did not sing the song to him) till after we were back together, after it was produced.  I think music is powerful enough to touch people and to bring an understanding but that understanding could just as well be “it’s time to end this.”

JM: In “Just the Way It Is,” how hard is it for you to accept things for what it is?  How hard is it for you to accept a failed relationship?

Sophia Moon: I’ve actually learned to come to terms with things a lot better.  A few years ago, I might have been more resistant, but I think a part of growing up and becoming mature is understanding one’s limitations.  I can’t control everything.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t go through the emotions.  Accepting a failed relationship is sad.  I’ve learned that not everything is going to turn out the way I wanted.  I think my music career has brought me to exactly where I needed to be at any and every given point.   But I had a lot of different stages I went through to grow as a person, singer, and writer that I wouldn’t take back or change even if I could. I don’t know that I need to be anywhere in particular, but where I would like to be is simple. I want to be in a financially, emotionally, and physically capable of getting up every morning to do the thing that brings me the most happiness, and that is making music

JM: How has your relationship changed with music, have you ever thought about breaking up with it?

Sophia Moon: No, never.  I’ve taken small breathers from music to gather perspective.  But I can’t imagine ever being without music.

JM: How hard is it to balance a 9-5 career and your singing career, does one always suffers?

Sophia Moon: I took a cut in work hours so that I could make more time for my music. So I work 3 and half days a week now.  Again, my play life suffers.  I don’t ever really go out and do fun random things.  I’m a workaholic and I love it.  I get this work ethic from my Mom, she’s was a really hard worker.  My mom owned a business and worked 14 hour days and studied at night to learn English and then earned licenses in life insurance and real estate.  For the most part, she was a single parent.

JM: How do you think independent artists deal with trying to make their passion take off, while trying to make money to support their art?

Sophia Moon: It’s hard, there are so many people who are so talented and never make it in the eyes of the mainstream public. I have so much respect for people who take that plunge to do music/art as their full time thing and are really at the mercy of luck and timing.  But for me, because I grew up watching my Mom work so hard and knowing that she did it all so that I could have better opportunities.  I just could not, not be self sufficient.

JM: Do you think being from Brooklyn has shaped your image/music?  Do people from Brooklyn have more soul than the other boroughs?

Sophia Moon: Absolutely, I was always underestimated for being a petite Asian American girl growing up in a very diverse, primarily minority neighborhood.  I’m biased, I do think that (Brooklyners have more soul) but I know it’s not necessarily true.  I have lived in Boston for a while now.  I came here for college and stuck around.

JM: You like it here?

Sophia Moon: I do.  It’s where I became an adult and it’s a charming city.  New York City is great too and I miss it sometimes but New York is so fast paced, I feel behind all the time.  I like that the city (Boston) sleeps, that way I can sleep too without feeling like I missed out on something important.

JM: Have you ever serenaded a guy before like a guy does with a girl in that cliché way?

Sophia Moon: (She laughs) Um… Not in a serious way but I have sung for a guy before. I bust out into song for no reason, but nothing in a flirty way.  I think that guys have fallen for me for the singing thing before, but I think it’s superficial to like me just for my voice so I tend to shy away from gestures like that.

JM: Was January your first time at East Meets Words?  What about that night got you inspired?

Sophia Moon: Actually, I only found out about East Meets Words in the last few months when Giles and a couple others tried to get me to come by to feature. So, this January was my first time.  I was touched by the energy in the room, the safe space, the sharing and opening up that people were doing.

For more information about Sophia Moon visit her myspace http://www.myspace.com/sophiamoon

Last 5 posts by jess

• Impressed - November 16th, 2009
• Prompt! In a Quick Minute - June 4th, 2009
• Alfa's "Second Skin" - May 21st, 2009
• A Book Review: "Miles From Nowhere" - April 6th, 2009
• Being Blue is Only Skin Deep: Bhurin Sead - December 19th, 2008

Tags: Interview.