Soft Science: Dream‑Pop Devotion and the Heart Behind Sand

Soft Science: Dream‑Pop Devotion and the Heart Behind Sand

Soft Science has long been one of the West Coast’s most quietly dazzling dream‑pop exports — a band whose shimmering guitars, heartfelt lyricism, and atmospheric textures feel both intimate and expansive. With their new album Sand on the horizon, vocalist Katie Haley opens up about the band’s evolution, the Sacramento music community, motherhood, European adventures, and the deeply personal stories woven into their songs. Warm, candid, and endlessly genuine, Haley offers a glimpse into the heart of a band that creates because they truly love the craft.

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Soft Science, and how long the band has been together.
Hi, I’m Katie Haley, and I’m the singer in Soft Science. I play tambourine too, and add little percussive things here and there. Soft Science has actually been around for quite a while. Ross, Matt, and I were in another band called California Oranges before Soft Science. When California Oranges broke up — I think around 2008 or 2009 — the three of us decided we wanted to keep going and start something new.

We began working on new songs, and that eventually became Soft Science. Over time Tony and Becky joined us, and the band evolved into what it is today.

Where are you based, and what is your local music scene like? It’s Sacramento, right?
Yes, Ross, Matt, and I all live in Sacramento. Tony and Becky used to live here too, but they’re now in Penngrove, basically Sonoma.

The Sacramento music scene is really active. There are a lot of great local bands emerging — Motorcycle is one that comes to mind. It’s a good place to be a musician.

PBS Abridged recently did an article I was part of, focusing on artists and the interesting careers they juggle. As we all know, it’s hard to make a living doing music unless you’re Taylor Swift. The author had just moved here from New York, and he said something that really stuck with me: people in Sacramento make music because they genuinely love it.

When you read the article, you can feel that. And honestly, that’s one of the most positive things I can say about the Sacramento music scene — it’s full of people who create out of passion.

The new album is entitled Sand. Is there an overall story or concept behind the title?
We named the album after the song “Sand,” which will be the last track on Side A. Lyrically, I think it’s a really good theme for our band.

We usually write from whatever’s happening in our lives — inspirations, emotions, things that feed into the lyrics. And I feel like this record is very cohesive. It takes you on a journey. I’m really proud of it and excited for it to come out into the world.

(And yes, my cat was loudly demanding attention while I was answering that!)

Let’s talk about the two songs already out. Both are stunning — congratulations. Starting with “Understand,” what inspired that one?
Thank you so much.

Ross and I have collaborated on lyrics for years, so it’s a very natural process for us. Ross came up with the chorus — “One day I know you’ll understand” — and we built the rest of the lyrics around that. I loved the sentiment immediately.

I have teenage twin daughters who just started high school, and I’ve watched them navigate all the typical freshman struggles — homework, stress, figuring out who they are. The first part of the verse is really about how much I treasure them, how what they say and our memories stay with me.

The second half is more of an encouragement: when things get hard, go back to the start, take a deep breath. It’s a message I need myself sometimes when I’m anxious or overwhelmed.

And the chorus — someday you’ll understand — is about giving yourself time and space. Maybe you don’t understand a hard moment now, but later you might. That’s what “Understand” means to me. I hope it feels encouraging.

Follow‑up to “Understand”: Are your daughters into music, and do they think Mom is cool because she’s in a band?
I have one daughter who’s really into music. She got a guitar for Christmas, though she hasn’t been playing it much — and that’s okay. I don’t want to push it.

But she loves to sing, and we sing together a lot, which really annoys my husband and my other daughter. We’re like, “Sorry, folks, you live with us!”

She’ll also go to shows with me, which I love. It’s really cool.

Let’s talk about the other single, “Spinning,” and the inspiration behind it.
Ross came up with the music, and I love the intro guitar. Matt’s guitar work is amazing too — they did something really unique with playing a part and then running it backwards. I’m not the technical person in the band, so I don’t want to misstate anything, but the effect is spectacular. It gives the song so much energy.

Lyrically, “Spinning” is about being stuck in one of those circular conversations where you just can’t get through to someone. That tension and frustration — can you just listen to what I’m trying to say? — that’s what the song is about.

Very relatable.
Exactly. Who hasn’t been in that situation at some point?

You’ve played some pretty cool places — Madrid, Paris. What was the experience like performing in Europe?
It was incredible. We went in 2018. The big impetus was an invitation from Johnny Dwyer, who runs Paris Pop Fest. We met him a year or so earlier when we played New York Pop Fest, and he told us, “You have to come play Paris Pop Fest.” We were like, okay!

We stayed in touch, and eventually we were able to make it happen. Once Paris Pop Fest was confirmed, other shows developed around it. We ended up playing a few dates in Spain and then this amazing show in Porto. It was a fantastic experience.

We’re really hoping something like that happens again — maybe next summer would be ideal. We’d also love to go to the UK. We’ve never played there. So if anyone listening wants Soft Science in the UK, please reach out.

I’m in Los Angeles, and I saw you played The Echo. What was that experience like, and when will we see you again?
Part Time Punks helped set that show up. It was a great night — I think we played with The Prids, if I remember correctly.

I personally love playing live, so I’m always happy to be in LA. Right now we’re planning a mini‑tour with New Age Healers, and hopefully mid‑to‑late January we’ll be back in Southern California.

Years ago I interviewed House of Love when they played LA for Audience With the Mind. You covered “I Don’t Know Why I Love You.” What made you choose that song, and have you heard from House of Love about it?
We were asked to contribute to a House of Love compilation — and I feel terrible that the label name is escaping me right now — but we got to pick one of the first songs on it.

Ross and I immediately said, “I Don’t Know Why I Love You. We have to do that one.” I love that song, and I love the House of Love album it’s on. I think it starts with “Hannah,” but now I’m going to have to listen to it today to refresh my memory.

They actually played Sacramento a couple of years ago while touring, and it was amazing. I never got to see them live back in their heyday, so it was really special. They’re such a great band.

Looking back at your first two albums, Highs and Lows and Detour, what do you think of them now in retrospect?
Highs and Lows is definitely a transition album. Ross, Matt, and I came from California Oranges, where we all contributed songs, along with my brother John and Verna Brock (formerly of Rocketship).

When we shifted into Soft Science, Highs and Lows still feels a little bit like California Oranges to me. But there are songs — like “Closer to Me” — where you can hear the direction we wanted Soft Science to go. That dreamy, dream‑pop, shoegaze‑influenced sound with the wall‑of‑sound guitars.

By the time we made Detour, we were really leaning into that. Detour feels much more focused. And honestly, I don’t think we’ve ever made the same album twice, but there’s definitely a style that carries through.

Detour has a special place in my heart. Lyrically, I went through a lot while making it — my twins were born prematurely, my dad was in the hospital. A lot of the lyrics come from that time in my life.

In all the music I’ve made, Detour is probably one of my favorite albums. I feel really close to it.

While you revisit House of Love today, I’m going to revisit Detour.
Thank you, I appreciate that.

My brother, John Conley — he’s in a band called Desario — has done all of our artwork. He’s an amazing graphic artist who goes by blkbrix. He’s done all our album covers, t‑shirts, everything.

My daughter Elsa loves the Detour album cover. She keeps telling me, “You need to make a Detour t‑shirt. I want a Detour t‑shirt, Mom.” I’m like, “We need to focus on the here and now, but I appreciate the enthusiasm!”

Since the interview got serious, here’s a goofy question: If the music of Soft Science were a donut, what kind would it be and why?
Wow.  I’m going to go with an apple fritter, because that’s Matt Levine’s favorite donut — he’s our guitarist — and I think it actually fits us.

It’s crunchy sometimes, soft inside, fruity, a little sweet, and sometimes a little tart if you get one of those perfect apple bites.

I think we’re an apple fritter.

Are you involved with any other bands or projects at the moment, or is it just Soft Science?
It’s just Soft Science. That’s all I have bandwidth for, honestly. I like to stay focused and put the energy I have for music into one thing at a time, and I’m very happy being part of Soft Science.

Occasionally I’ll sing on something for my brother’s band, or jump in on a project if someone asks. During the pandemic I did a fun collaboration with New Age Healers, which was amazing. But generally, I’m a one‑band gal.

If you could collaborate with any artist — now or from the past — on one of your songs, who would it be and why?
Jeez, that’s a tough one.  I’m probably going to say Depeche Mode. They were the band that made me fall in love with alternative music. They were my introduction to that world when I was in my early teens. So I’m going to say Depeche Mode.

My god, me too. Black Celebration was the soundtrack of my life.
Oh my god, yes — Black Celebration. I remember seeing the “But Not Tonight” video on 120 Minutes, and the next day I was like, “I need to go to the record store. I need that album.”

Last summer I found this really cool Black Celebration sweatshirt online, and I had to buy it. That record is one of my all‑time favorites.

Last question: Do you have any messages for Soft Science fans reading this, or for people discovering your music for the first time?
First of all, thank you for listening. We appreciate it so much. There’s a vast sea of music out there — which is wonderful — but it also makes it hard to cut through and build an audience. So thank you for taking the time to listen to us. It means a lot.

Please look out for our live shows. If we’re playing near you, come out! We try to play live as often as we can, but it can be challenging, so don’t wait for “next time.”

One of the things I love most is meeting people at shows and hearing how the music resonates with them. One of my favorite stories is from when we played Kalamazoo Shoegazer a few years ago. I met a man afterward who told me he’s an art teacher, and he plays Detour for his students while they work in class. I was like, “My god, you just made my day.” I still think about that. It makes me so happy.

In Conclusion

Soft Science continues to carve out a space where emotion, melody, and atmosphere collide — a place where vulnerability becomes strength and sound becomes memory. As Sand prepares to make its way into the world, Katie Haley’s reflections remind us why independent music matters: it connects, it comforts, and it resonates long after the last note fades. Whether you’ve followed Soft Science from their earliest days or you’re discovering them for the first time, now is the perfect moment to dive in, turn the volume up, and let the dream‑pop waves carry you somewhere beautiful.

(Interview by Ken Morton – Cover photo by John Conley)

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