Tearful Moon Interview By Kris Hex
goth-Interview-Tearful Moon-Kris Hex
“Hailing from Houston, TX, Tearful Moon are a two piece ensemble consisting of vocalist Sky Lesco and guitarist/programmer Manuel Lozano; Drawing influences from 80’s goth acts such as Danse Society and Trisomie 21 all the way into the current age with bands such as Sixth June and Ash Code, they have a dark yet sensual sound appeals to fans of goth and darkwave.
1) Ok guys, for yet another introduction, tell the readers who you are and where you’re from
Sky: Hi everyone I’m Sky Lesco of Tearful Moon from Houston, Texas.
Manuel: Hi, I’m Manuel. I’m from Mexico originally, but have been living in Houston now for two years.
2) The goth scene in Houston has been dead for some time now, I know it had its hey day back the 90’s but as of late it’s turned into somewhat of a cultural wasteland, the punk scene seems to be the only thing still alive and well; Do you think an emphasis on live acts will help regenerate a good solid post punk scene here? Typically live acts are the backbone of any scene and rightfully so.
Manuel: Yes. Definitely. There’s a lot of energy involved in live performances, and you can feel it. And to have this connection between the band and audience is amazing.
3) Sky, you’ve been doing spoken word projects for some time now, do you ever parlay any of your written material you’ve recorded into the group’s music now that you have another musician to work with who understands the musical cues?
Sky: Oh yes. Actually all the songs I write have come from my poetry. Tearful Moon originally started as a spoken word project with dark and beautiful ambient music that Manuel would create. It accidentally turned into something else when we were just playing around and I had a poem in my hand. Manuel just said ” sing it”. And he sang along. We liked where it went, and decided to pursue it more. I have so many poems, so yes the songwriting process involves my big stash of written word.
4) Manuel, you’re very well rounded when it comes to musical knowledge and you and Sky both are good about paying attention to new acts, is there anyone in particular right now you like sound wise?
Manuel: We really like this project called Ssleeping DesiresS from San Francisco.
5) Some people might call what you play coldwave/darkwave, etc, labels aside, it seems at times that the darker styles of music are very adept at showing deep emotion and when you have certain cues from bands like And Also The Trees and Sad Lovers and Giants to play off of when it comes to more melancholy views on life, it’s no wonder what comes out aurally is of a darker shade, do you guys feel that it’s just what suits you or was it a gradual thing?
Sky: I think it’s definitely what suits both of us naturally. That is something we have in common and I guess that’s why it works. I always come from a dark and melancholy place even when I’m not trying to.
6) Sky, you have a strong liking for some of the more eclectic dark acts such as Dead Can Dance and Black Tape For A Blue Girl, are there any other bands of that ilk that appeal to you and that you listen to on the regular?
Sky: Well, I have a romance with a lot of middle eastern and ethereal sounds. There is a band in particular I listen to a lot, who I think have been influenced by Dead Can Dance,called Niyaz. I dance to them a lot at home alone. Haha. There’s also Stella Mara and Irfan that are good. Very “dark neofolk” I guess. I also love Tear Garden as you know, and Legendary Pink Dots.
What all do you two have recorded at the moment for people to listen? I’ve heard a few of the demos and they’re fantastic but for those who don’t know, go ahead and tell people where to find your music if you don’t mind.
Sky: We are on soundcloud and currently working on an EP that will be on bandcamp.
7) Lastly, do you have any plans to play live soon?
Sky: Yes, hopefully.
Manuel: Yes, I think it would be a fulfilling experience.
