Soft Skies Inc is the new recording project from twin writing team Ryan and Martin Rex. With each single, the twins seek to feed your head or elevate your day. The Soft Skies Inc sound is noisy, poppy, psychedelic, melodic, driving —exploring texture and mood and space and time. New single “Sooner or Later” is set for September 2024 release, followed by a video for “Your Small Army” the following month. More new music is on the way in early 2025.
Blood Makes Noise: How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
Ryan Rex: My twin brother Marty and I have been making music together since we were 16. After our previous bands dissolved, we continued as a duo, focusing primarily on recording with occasional live shows under the name SOFT SKIES INC. The name is meant to capture a sense of contrast and duality — serene, intimate beauty paired with the commercial realities of making and sharing music. But in the end, we just thought it sounded cool!
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?We were first inspired by the underground punk, new wave, and alternative music of the '80s and '90s — much of which eventually broke into the mainstream. What drew us in was the authenticity and uniqueness of that scene, which resonated deeply with a couple sensitive skater kids like ourselves. In high school, we formed a band with our friends — more by declaration than any musical skill or instruments — and called ourselves Under The Influence, which later became The Influence. We got pretty darn good and played out a lot locally. As we moved into college and beyond, our main project evolved into Lockgroove (check out Spotify if you're curious), and Marty also played in a band called Ghost Box Orchestra.
First concert that you ever went to?
Our first concert was R.E.M. on the GREEN tour at the Spectrum in Philly and it was absolutely incredible. We always specify “early R.E.M.” when we cite them as an influence [laughs]. IYKYK.
What's your writing process like?
I usually bring the core of a song and lyrics to the table, demoed for Marty to check out. From there, we flesh it out in the rehearsal space until it becomes a fully realized song. We trade off playing a bunch of different instruments but generally Marty is doing percussion, backing vox, and keys, and I am doing the main vocals and guitars. The real magic happens in the studio, I like to think, where we elevate the sonic elements of the recorded track and try to make sure the song takes you on a ride.
5. What other artists or songs inspire your music?
If you check out the SOFT SKIES INC “Foundational” playlist on Spotify, you’ll hear some of our core influences, from The Smiths and Spiritualized to New Order, Jane’s Addiction, Depeche Mode, and more. There are so many bands we could’ve included, and narrowing it down to ten was a challenge. But each band on the playlist shares a fundamental sound and approach that has shaped how we write and create music as SOFT SKIES INC, but this list is by no means comprehensive.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
In our previous bands, the live experience was all about intensity, connection, and those transformative moments. These days, we’re more focused on recording, but when we perform as a two-piece, the live set takes on a different dynamic. If you listen to our recorded tracks, you’ll hear that the songs need to be their “own thing” in a live setting since we have to cover a lot of ground (and parts) with just the two of us. We always try to keep it interesting.
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows? Worst shows?
No touring with this project yet as we are still in the studio, but we’ll see what 2025 brings!
What's up next for the band?
We have four more singles being released in 2025, to add to the eight already available SOFT SKIES INC tracks and our recent music video. Stay tuned and thanks!
SOCIAL:
Bandcamp: https://softskiesinc.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoftSkiesInc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soft_skies_inc
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@softskiesinc7576