I think Sob Story as a moniker aligns with a lot of people’s lives — everyone has their sob stories they tell themselves, everybody has their excuses in life. It was born from a moment in time when things weren’t going my way, but almost satirically. I think a lot of my work depicts a funnier side of life. But the name itself comes from a Minor Threat song.
Most of the people that I know in life, I met either through graffiti, skating, or another alternative lifestyle. I was able to get recognized by brands and collaborators by chance, but also by having my head in the right places.
This year, I have a collaboration with Carhartt, another with Ray-Bans, and a few more I can’t quite announce yet. I try to keep my commissions fun to create, and it helps the bills go by, but ultimately, I plan to brand this into an engine to make three-dimensional pieces – toys, figurines, stuff like that.
My mother is the reason I’m an artist today; she taught me everything I know about creating. Now that I’m going into my thirties, my personal goal is to have a family. One of my biggest wishes is to be able to hand this knowledge to someone, whether it’s a girl, a boy, whatever… I just wanna create a cool human, you know?
The pandemic had a big impact on how I create. It was a period where people were trying different hobbies and mediums, so I was able to branch out a bit. But everything breaks down to trial and error; there’s really no blueprint to anything. It’s beautiful when things work out, but there’s no other feeling that explains the rush of a flow state.
I take a lot of influence from Studio Ghibli and video games like Resident Evil. Techno music is like an essence to me, it’s my heart thing. My first rave was in the desert, which taught me community through noise and shared commitment. That scene was only accessible to me because I grew up in the Inland Empire, but it made the transition to Los Angeles much smoother.
L.A.U.R.A. <Los Angeles Underground Rave Association> is my project with the homies. We make physical tapes, and we throw parties, booking DJs to come to Los Angeles from Europe, Mexico, and all across the world.
I’d say the first subculture I entered was graffiti, then it was music, though I never made music myself. That’s why I feel very gifted to be in a position where I know, meet, and work with the people who make up my soundtrack to life.
The beauty of it is that a lot of creatives usually pick one thing to be – DJ, graphic designer, whatever. But I think I’ve found a very niche bubble, where I’ve been able to be a promoter, a cartoonist, lend a hand at galleries… Over the years, things stack on, right? I think for anybody trying to find their craft, it’s just being fluent and true to your homies and the people you meet.
My main goal right now is to teach my future children and put them on to what I was taught – be a good person, work hard, keep an open mind, and learn your style. I think people should be open to any genre of music or any medium of art, whether creating or engaging with a piece.
Finding yourself is the beauty of it. Looking back, I feel lucky I’ve been able to navigate life my own way, by following what I love. If I can provide that for another generation, that’d be a happy end to the story.
-Eleazar Trejo for Dead Relatives.
