Los Angeles’ self-described “meditative pop” group Sonoda shared their latest dream-woven single “Point of View” earlier this week. The track is a blissful trip led by Lisa Sonoda’s ethereal vocals and a chorus of synths that caress your soul.
Formed in 2016 initially as a solo endeavor, Sonoda soon evolved into a quartet dedicated to crafting colorful sonic experimentations. The group approaches their music from a spiritual essence to solidify the magic embedded within their work and help listeners gain a moment of peace in modernity.
Below, Lisa Sonoda writes about David Lynch’s films, meditation techniques, her songwriting process, and what the future holds for Sonoda.
How did Sonoda come to be in its current form?
The switch from solo to a full band was hard to imagine at first since I was so used to looping or just playing with my bandmate, Adrian. We quickly realized there’s a difference between what the two of us wanted to achieve versus what we could handle.
Asking friends to join on drums/bass quickly helped us cross that threshold. It was perfect timing too because we started playing more established venues. Looking back, solo versus full band for me is like being a helicopter parent of your songs instead of letting them grow and stand on their own. I was trying to loop and do everything myself, but allowing other people to take the baton and run with it together as a team has really brought the songs farther than I could’ve imagined. Now I can be freer with the songs instead of worrying about loops or having too much on my plate.
Why did you make the shift from a solo project to a fleshed out group?
We evolved to our current quartet after being a whopping 7-person live band for a good while. You know how they say “the more the merrier?” That’s kind of how we were and it was so much fun, especially with such talented and kind friends in the music community. After our first tour and 40 something shows a year it was a lot of time for everyone to commit to since everyone had other music projects. Plus, who can get seven schedules lined up with work and life? So four just made more logistical sense and we’ve been able to go on more tours. Not to mention we’re more likely to all fit on stage, have enough inputs on the board, and the power won’t go out.
Your new track, “Point of View” works as a meditative piece that serves as a reflection of the past year. Can you describe how the track came to be?
This track was originally written for a compilation donating all proceeds to People’s Breakfast Oakland. The version we are releasing now has been re-recorded and sounds quite different. The past year completely turned our music plans upside down — from canceled studio sessions, to postponing tours like our first SXSW trip — and having this song to work on was a really motivating challenge right when everything else seemed to be going so wrong. We wrote and recorded this song collaboratively, each on lockdown at our respective homes, and just sort of felt out where the song wanted to go and figured out how to get the production right along the way. For us, this song is a snapshot of the early days of lockdown and navigating the tumult. Life was put into a new perspective regarding mortality, health, politics, society, race, everything. We had so little control of everything that was going on during quarantine, so continuing a lack of control in the songwriting process helped us to go with the flow and see where it took us.
How has your songwriting process and creative output shifted over the past year?
A lot of the past year was about learning for me. I’ve always thought of creativity as a process of following inspiration and really learning to listen. While our output hasn’t changed so much, some of our more recent songs like “Point of View” and others in progress are written more collaboratively as a band, so that’s one way our process has started to shift.
It seems you want to provide comfort to those listeners in distress as a self-described “meditative pop band.” What has been some music that has helped you cope throughout these turbulent times?
Overall I’ve been listening to less and less music these days, so my coping has really come more from the guidance of everything spiritual: meditation practice, my spiritual teacher and books on the topic. I’ve been away from L.A. for most of the pandemic and in terms of sound, my current place is quite the opposite to before. It’s been so long since I experienced such quietude. One thing I do listen to regularly is recordings of singing bowls on YouTube or Spotify. Just really long tracks that I’m able to have floating in the background. The account is Healing Vibrations, and they post tons of crystal singing bowl videos. These all supply me with much to ponder and I’d say they have really helped me get by.
I was also recently asked to put together an end-of-year playlist for Safe Travels of my favorite albums of 2020, which you can find here: https://www.mixcloud.com/sonodamusic/healing-spaces-favorites-of-2020/
Are there any meditation techniques you can share for a listener seeking a brief moment of solace?
I wish everyone knew how simple it is to meditate. A lot of people do it without realizing it. Just think about what is relaxing to you, and how you feel when you’re doing that. Whether it be taking a bath, going on a walk, listening to music, drawing, playing music, there’s so much going on subconsciously and behind the scenes. Of course, there are different types of meditations and goals of meditation but the bottom line is grounding, centering, cleansing and healing oneself.
Some techniques could be trying a guided meditation so you don’t have to think, you just go with the flow. This is good for letting go, which is a huge part of meditation. I personally don’t use guided meditations so much because I do other things like play my singing bowl, say prayers, recite positive affirmations, hitting the bowl and saying “ohm.”
What was the first album that made an impact on your life?
This is tough. There’s a lot, but I know that Beach House really changed me. Devotion is my favorite of theirs, but when I had more time I used to cover all their songs. I realized singing those lyrics and melodies really helped my voice evolve. I sound like a different person now. I think playing their songs helped me grow into my own and come out of my shell. Kind of like how people say we only use a small percentage of our brain. That’s how I felt I was with my voice before Beach House. Plus growing up and maturing in general, but I swear there’s a lot of magic, power and wisdom in their songs.
Are there any films that provide an influence on your musical work? The real question being: Are you a fan of David Lynch’s work?
I am totally a fan. What gave it away? Mulholland Drive is in my top 3 for sure. The music in Twin Peaks also has a place in my and everyone else’s heart. I also feel a connection in our music to Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind, another of my favorite films. There is this sense of intertwined beauty and melancholy in that film that despite heartbreak or thwarted expectations, we wouldn’t have it any other way because the failures lead us to where we are now. That philosophy guides the wistful music that we channel. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason, good or bad, so we have to take it in stride and continue on this journey of life.
What was the last concert you were able to attend?
We had just wrapped up a tour with Mutual Benefit before lockdown, and our last stop of the tour in Ojai at Greater Goods. We recently watched the Vanishing Twin livestream concert, which really blew us away. We can’t wait to tour with them. In a parallel non-coronavirus universe, we all went to see Stereolab in the desert together.
What are your hopes for the future of Sonoda as you navigate 2021 and beyond?
We’re currently working on mixing our next release, which we mostly recorded right before everything (including the studio) closed down. It will hopefully be a long EP or short album or something in-between. I’ve also been working on writing new songs and making demos, including one that came to me in a vision during a meditation. We’re always working on something. We started working with Flexible, which is a part of Terrible Records, for this release so we are excited to see what opportunities that may bring in the future.
We also had fun making a live short film with live performances late last summer “Here We Are Now” and are feeling inspired to make more video projects.
The other day I did a Q&A series on instagram and someone asked if we’d do a Broadcast cover album. Who knows, maybe we’ll do that someday.
This interview has been edited for clarity.