SOFT FAITH: CONFESS THY SYNTHS
Photography by Axel Ghxst
1. Alright, Aaron, from San Diego to Los Angeles and now residing in New York, what brought the move to the East Coast?
(AARON)
I’ve always had such great love for my hometown of San Diego, and I still have my 619 phone number! But to be honest - I didn’t feel like LA was my home, and I was ready for a change. My wife is from the East Coast and has lived in New York for many years. She felt the same way about LA, so we decided to make the move! It’s been almost three years of living in Brooklyn, and I love it so much - it truly feels like home.
2. Los Angeles and New York are both primary markets for music, rich with respective histories and thriving scenes. From the people and nightlife to the music industry as a whole, how would you compare the two? Was it easier to find your footing in one city than the other?
(AARON)
When I was younger, LA was a lot of fun. As my local San Diego band (The Stranger’s Six) grew a bit in popularity, we became part of the LA scene in the mid-00s, and it was a blast playing Hollywood and all those legendary venues and being up in the mix of the industry. When I moved to LA ten years later, especially post-COVID - I found it challenging to re-find my musical footing. When I moved to NY - I simply posted on my IG story, “I’m here who wants to start a band,” and within the first year here, that’s how I met Kenneth and Soft Faith was born! So, for me, NY has provided me with not only an amazing new musical project but also a great friend.
3. Coming from the Pop Punk scene in the mid-aughts with bands like The Stranger's Six and Fenix TX, to the present day being fully submerged in Synth-pop music, what caused the shift in influence and/or artistic style? Was it a specific band that triggered it, or the sounds of the Sub 25 that served as the catalyst?
(AARON)
I must thank my first goth girlfriend when I was young for kick-starting my love for this kind of music! She introduced me to bands like VNV Nation, Covenant, Sisters of Mercy, and Depeche Mode - so even when I was playing in pop-punk bands, I was always listening to darker stuff with heavy synth elements. To this day, VNV Nation is a top 10 all-time band for me. I’ve probably seen them live 15 or so times over the years. Then, later in my life, I was doing film scores in the adult industry and using lots of synths, and from there, I got inspired to start making my own darkwave music, which I released under the name Empty Streets on Cleopatra Records!
(KENNETH)
For me, it was this natural progression from punk to post-punk. When I was in college, there was this sort of 80s nostalgia thing happening, with artists like the Killers and Interpol gaining popularity, and I started listening to Joy Division and the Cure a lot. From there, it was New Order and eventually Depeche Mode, and by then, I had quit my band and bought an Oberheim DMX drum machine.”
4. Kenneth Fletcher of The Neuromantic Boys brings his own arsenal of production and artistry into the mix. How did you two end up coming together to create the force that is Soft Faith?
(KENNETH)
Initially, Aaron and I discussed trading features for our respective projects (Empty Streets / the Neuromantic Boys). Empty Streets leans a little darker and industrial, while NB has more of a new wave-influenced sound. Aaron did some demos for his NB feature, and I liked the way his voice sounded. I asked him if he would record lead vocals on a synth-pop track I had just written, which I thought had potential but didn’t sound suitable with my voice. He agreed, and that track became Soft Faith’s debut original single ‘Tears of the Fall.’”
5. Let's talk gear. One synth is never enough, as we see you guys are packing some heat with a Sub 25, Juno-106, and Prophet Rev2, to name a few. Is any synth in particular considered a favorite, and are there any rare gems out there that you would like or will be adding to the stable in the future?
(KENNETH)
The Rev2 will always be a favorite. The 8-voice desktop version was my first ‘real’ analog synth. We actually just upgraded to the 16-voice version with the keybed for our ‘House of Faith’ studio. The Juno 106 is a dream synth. We just got it completely redone, so it’s basically brand new on the inside. Last summer, we picked up an SQ80 for dirt cheap with an extra cartridge filled with many amazing custom sounds its previous owner made. I like to think of it as a poor man’s Emulator. We just got an original 707. We’ve been using the samples since we started this project, so it only made sense to get the real deal. I’d love to get a 727 to match it. I really want to add one of the newer Oberheims to the studio. Originally, I was looking at the Ob-6, but now I’m leaning more toward the TEO-5. If I’m being honest, I also just think it would look really cool next to our Pro 3!
Modern Wav proudly presents Soft Faith's DJ set at this year's highly-anticipated two-day event on November 22nd and 23rd. Featuring an impressive lineup including TR/ST, IAMX, Matte Blvck, Spike Hellis, Louisahh, Nox Novacula, Void Palace, and Die Sexual, this is an event not to be missed. Join San Diego's vibrant gothic and alternative music community for an unforgettable night. Step into the dark corners of San Diego and secure your tickets today! Secure your tickets today!
