In Pursuit of Telling a More Honest Story: an Exclusive Q&A with Soren Song

In preparation for our October 25 Ripple Effect Benefit Concert, we spoke to one of our featured artists of the night: Soren Song, a singer-songwriter from New York who’s renowned for their deeply personal and authentic performances. 

Check out the Q&A interview below for an in-depth conversation on the power of healing in community, music’s ability to help process experiences, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Soren’s powerful piece “Enough,” which will kick start our largest event of the year!

Q: What first connected you with MenHealing? What about the work we do makes you want to become involved in this community?

A: 15 or 16 years ago, I started to learn about my trauma. I began looking at all these things I had been running away from, and as I started this healing journey, my music shifted: It used to be mostly about unrequited love or sitting in a bar, but these new themes started showing up. I wanted to align with people and organizations doing this kind of healing work.

A few years ago, I had a song called “Gentle Man.” Instead of a traditional video release, I wanted to do something different addressing trauma and masculinity. I thought I’d find people knowledgeable about this to share on a panel alongside supporting organizations. I searched for trauma and masculinity online, and MenHealing came up. I reached out, and we connected. They saw what I was trying to do and were so supportive in making it happen. It wasn’t the biggest event, but it was deeply meaningful to me. That experience has informed how I want to present my work as an artist going forward: aligning with people who are prioritizing healing.

Q: What are you ultimately trying to express or understand with the music you create?

A: For me, making music is my way of processing what’s going on in life. My brain has a hard time processing things in a way where I can clearly say, “This is what’s happening.” I tend to obsess and fixate, so getting out of the way and letting the subconscious come out through music and lyrics solidifies my experiences. I don’t come in with any kind of intention, it’s more getting whatever’s going on inside of me, out.

Music helps me be able to look back and say, “This is what I’m dealing with.” A lot of times, it presents itself almost as a solution. That might not be where I am with it at the moment—the song might be very inspirational—but it’s what I need to hear regarding whatever I’m struggling with.

Q: What role has connection to someone else or connection to community played in your life regarding your creative work? 

A: There was so much harm in my life that came through community, so I really wanted to heal on my own. It felt safer. Even with music, sitting alone in my room writing these songs came with no thought of performing them in front of people; that just comes later. Somebody said to me not long ago during another event I did with MenHealing: “What has been harmed in community can only be healed in community.” That actually made me really angry at first because I knew it was true and I didn’t like it. You can practice on your own all you want, but there are things you need community for in order to heal.

When things are harmed in community and you become afraid of connection, that can only be healed through community and connection; maybe not necessarily that same community, but your chosen community and chosen family. That is the only path forward and the only way we really heal.

Q: MenHealing creates spaces where men who have experienced sexual harm can be heard, believed, and connected to community. With the upcoming Ripple Effect event, what does it mean for you to lend your voice and music to that work?

A: When I’m writing a song, my only job is to get out of the way and let it come out. The intention comes after the fact: how do I want to present this? When Travis Stever and I wrote “Enough,” it connected deeply to both of us and what we’re trying to do in our lives: examining and rewriting negative narratives.

So many people and mental health organizations have been a supportive part of my story. To be able to offer something back and help others is really important to me. You can’t help if you haven’t been helped. In continuing my healing journey, taking what I’ve learned and putting it back into the process for someone starting out—so they can hear it and resonate with it—that’s the whole goal.

Q: Your new song, “Enough,” created in collaboration with Coheed and Cambria guitarist Travis Stever, will be featured as part of Ripple Effect. What do you hope someone watching and hearing the song takes away from it?

A: I hope people experience what Travis and I experienced while writing it and bringing it to life. The people in the video had never heard the song before. They sat down with a childhood photo, wrote a negative story they had internalized about themselves, listened to the song, and then wrote a new story. The whole point is: can we tell a better, more honest story?

A lot of people never examine the stories they tell about themselves. My hope is that this song can be a catalyst for someone to realize, “I’ve been saying this negative thing about myself my whole life, but I don’t need to anymore,” and write a better one. Everyone can benefit from being kinder and more gentle with themselves.

Don’t miss Soren Song’s heartfelt performance, alongside an incredibly talented roster of male survivor musicians and allies, at Ripple Effect on October 25!

Register for free here.