Interview: Exploring Authenticity With Moon Kissed

After converging in New York City and making music together for almost 10 years, Moon Kissed released its  second album, I’d Like To Tell You Something Important, in late October this year. Composed of Emily Sgouros on synth, Khaya Cohen on vocals, and Leah Scarpati on drums, the band teeters on the edge of cherry-flavored sweetness and gritty spunk. Afterglow recently sat down with the trio to learn more about the band’s vibrant energy, music philosophy, and more.

Written by Allison Knodle

Photo courtesy of Bob Grecco

Afterglow: Let’s get into the music. What's your favorite song off your album and why?

Emily: Mine's “Bender” because it's  developed and changed so much over time. We've had this song for so f-cking long and just to see the way it's changed and grown is amazing. And we just put in so many cool little textures and stuff. Just the way it builds.

Khaya: Our friend Ben Z totally brought that one to life. And now I love it. It's exactly what I wanted it to sound like, but could never figure out how to make it sound like that. And he mixed it. 

I like the spoken word interjections in your music. Who's the poet of the group? Who wrote those songs?

Leah: The people that spoke actually, it's one of our friends Sam Kay. She wrote “I’ll ask for it," and the other person is Alexandra Farina, who's a writer. She wrote “Tornado.”

Khaya: (We) wanted to put them on because it's kind of an extension of our shows. It feels like the people at our shows contribute so much to it that we wanted the same thing for the album. We actually used to play spoken word live too. And that started because I just didn't want to talk on stage because I felt awkward. So we started doing spoken word interludes live. And then we were like, well, we should just do it for the album too, because now it should become a part of the band.

That’s wonderful, they add so much character to the album. Going back a little bit, what kind of music did y'all listen to growing up?

Emily: I grew up in Long Island. So naturally, I listened to a lot of pop punk music. Actually, my cousin gave me two records. That changed my life, the CDs that I listened to. Like my little pink Disney Walkman from the Disney Store. Yeah, and it was a New Found Glory record, Sticks and Stones. And then a Taking Back Sunday record. I forget which one but those were the two, and I just listened to those all the time.

Khaya: For me it was very all over the place. My entire family loves Bruce Springsteen and then U2 randomly, but I remember we had this big book of CDs that just had everything. And the ones I remember like, Manu Chao — I feel like I listened to everything. But then I got really into The Killers and Kings of Leon, and indie rock pretty early on. And also a lot of Aretha and jazz standards.

Leah: I listened to a lot of really early jazz and I got really into show tunes and vaudeville when I was a little kid, and I found YouTube and then found super old stuff. And then I listened to a lot of rap because I have two older brothers and they showed me 2Pac and then my family listened to folk stuff. I like a lot of different music but a lot of folk. Like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, that kind of stuff.

Khaya: I remember in high school, I was a big Limewire person. I would find one song that I like, and then downloaded every single version of it and every single cover version of it. So it’s like with jazz standards, I'd find someone to watch over and over. And then I'd go and look at all those artists that covered it and download all of their songs; my iPod was filled.

What were your earliest childhood experiences with music? And how did this experience translate into your work?

Emily: My dad's a percussionist, and so, growing up, I would go and l see him play in these contemporary percussion groups, which were, it's just weird for a kid to listen to, because it's just abstract kind of stuff, just noises and drums and whatever. And obviously, I didn't know how to interpret it. But I think it really influenced me, how I create sounds and textures, because music to me is all about different textures, timbers, and I think constantly when we're writing and stuff, I'm like, what kind of timber do I want to put into this song? More than just how do I fill up the space.

Leah: I guess like super early on, we had instruments at my house and my aunt got me a hand drum, and my brother had a drum set. And we had an old piano downstairs, and a guitar. So no one else in my family plays music. We just had instruments, so I would just go and try and try to play all of them. And I had a lot of free time alone, just figuring stuff out. So my earliest memories were very, very peaceful, I was just exploring with not really any intention.

Khaya: Yeah, me and my brother used to write songs together. And they were all like, socially conscious. My dad is a teacher and a student made him a playlist of socially conscious songs and I remember listening to it a lot. This was when I was like four or five. And so my brother would write these songs that were like, “Stop war!” Just a 5-year-old and like a 10-year-old, and he would play piano. I remember them — but I won't sing them for you now — but they’re intense. One song is like “Gotta look inside yourself, see what there is to see, to save humanity from the evil that be!” My brother and I had a woke band. So funny.

Were any of you religious growing up?

Emily: I went and did a program outside of school that was for the church. Yeah, studying religion. My parents are not very religious. I don't know why I did it, but I was in it. And I feel, I don't know, a part of me is more spiritual now, because I always believed in something higher than me. So I think I'm more open in a certain way. Because I went through so many years of thinking, “Oh, this thing is guiding you and helping you, it's just a mentality.” Yeah, I think it shifted to probably music. That's my way.

Khaya: And a good concert feels like an out of body experience that can change your life. Give me something to believe.

Going back to the present, who are your current favorite artists?

Khaya: Yeah, not musically, but I'm going through a riot grrrl riot girl phase right now. I've already gone through the listening phase of it, but I'm reading a lot about it and watching a documentary. I wish I found it in high school, but I also think it’s right to find it right now. And it wouldn't have resonated as hard then as it does now.

Emily: I’m really into ambient music. Maybe just because I've been stressed out. But I've been listening to a lot of Emily A. Sprauge, who is amazing. Listening specifically to this album, Mount Vision, I just zone out; it's a very watery vibe. But then I've also been really getting into lyrics lately because I haven't done that ever. I've just been very, ”Oh, arrangements,” like listening to instruments only. So I've been listening to a lot of music that's really cool, and a lot of country music, so I realized it's storytelling that I'm into right now.

Speaking of storytelling, the first song, “Bubblegum,” makes me feel like a kid when I'm listening to it. It's a very cutesy, bouncy playground type thing.

Khaya: Yeah, that's exactly what we were going for. The juxtaposition is cool, because it shows how multifaceted people and women can be. Everyone wants to put you in a box, but yeah, I can be like this cute girl. And I can also be fiery and say, “F-ck you.” And I think those are my favorite songs to listen to, the ones with those kinds of dynamics. It was definitely the point to make it cutesy but have a real angry, intense subject matter.

On that note, what do you want your audience to feel when they listen to your music?

Khaya: I want people specifically to feel the ultimate freedom to move their bodies the way they want, to feel the way they want, to not feel self-conscious at all. Because that's what (our music) has allowed me to feel. Yeah, you should be able to dance in whatever way you want to dance without fear of judgment, or having a nip slip, just move your body the way that it's meant to. And it feels amazing. That's what I want.

Leah: I want people to feel relief, but you know, sometimes I hear music, I'll be out somewhere or even on a walk or whatever. And you're reminded of how you really feel, like you're back to your resting state. You're neutralized again, at zero. And you're like, “Oh, it's okay.” Everything just kind of leaves you and you're like, “I'm me. I'm in this world. I'm back on the wake-up here.” And I want people to have that reminder of just feeling alive and okay.

That's what I felt when I heard that lyric about “I know your tiny ego’s bruised.” When I heard that, it resonated so much. I was reminded that people are shitty sometimes and this happens to everyone, and it made me feel better about myself.

Khaya: Especially women, your experiences are silenced so often. Yeah, how do we create this world where people who aren't men can be heard and can communicate and feel less alone and feel more normal in their experience? Because yeah, the amount of women and non-binary people that feel like outcasts is unfair. We're all having the same experiences. We've all talked to people who've been in shitty sexual situations. Let's talk about it. Let's make people feel less alone.

Emily: I want people to come out of the show with a new sense of self. And that they could go and take on whatever. And I feel like sometimes we give that to people. People have said, “Your shows have done this for me.” And honestly, our shows have done that for me too, where I have come into myself in a different way. And to give someone else that is incredible. We're just playing songs that we created.

Khaya: And it sticks. I think we've all kind of done that through the band, too. So we know it can happen. You know, it feels like the band is just of a higher power. It's kind of like, we sprinkle magical fairy dust on ourselves and everyone else.

You can follow Moonkissed on Instagram @moonkissedmusic and listen to their music on Spotify.