Interview with LIGHTS in Chicago

I was given the amazing opportunity to do an interview with an artist that I have been following for almost 4 years now. I've seen this artist live in concert 8 times, I've driven literally hundreds of miles to make it to shows and it has been worth every minute, every penny, and every late night. The artist is LIGHTS, and if you aren't aware of her you are truly missing out. Featuring a wide range of musical genres from Synth-pop to what is becoming known as Dreamstep, LIGHTS has been making huge waves in the industry. I was able to sit down and talk with her before her performance at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, Illinois on June 18th, 2013.

On this particular night LIGHTS was preparing to play her final show for the acoustic tour in support of her recent release of "Siberia Acoustic", which is a second look at her sophomore album "Siberia".

Josh: So now that you are on the last day of the tour, what has it been like to play acoustic for a full tour now?

Lights: It is awesome! I'm at the point now where it is just so comfortable, almost too comfortable sometimes. You have to shake it up sometimes to make it challenging, but it is a blast. Its very natural for me to be able to do that and it is nice to have some one on one time with the crowd which you don't normally get in a full band show. At this point I am really tired, which is funny because I thought the acoustic tour would be really chill and there would be all this down time. I brought art books and logic and an interface and a keyboard and all that so I could mess around between dates, but there has been zero time whatsoever. I've been getting up at the crack of dawn to start driving and traveling because we aren't on a bus this time. So it reminds me a lot of touring back when I first started.

Josh: For sure, and then today you had a flight delay on top of that.

Lights: Right right, and that throws a whole hanky into the plan. So I am pretty exhausted at this point and ready to just take a minute to relax.

Josh: So when we last talked the "iTunes Sessions" had just been released. How big of a change have you seen between the fan base coming out to see shows with the full band and fans coming out to see the acoustic set up?

Lights: It is a different kind of fan in general that comes out to the electronic shows and the acoustic shows. But on the Lights Army level they are the same people. They are very very close core fans. But I think there is something very special with acoustic music in that you don't identify with a core genre to be a fan of it. It is music, it is just songs, and a vocalist. It is seeing a musician at their most raw, and I think that goes a lot further with a lot more people sometimes. So I am seeing the crowd a bit older, a bit less use to coming to shows, like when I ask how many have been to a show before maybe less than half will put their hands up. It is a different crowd that is coming out and I think it is really special.

Josh: Awesome. So to kind of tie into that, you said it is a different feel for the fans, but how much different is it for you not having the guys that you've toured with for so much of the past few years?

Lights: It is harder and easier at the same time. I mean it is easier in the sense that it is all within my control. I can completely control the show with the tips of my fingers I can stop the guitar and talk. I can change keys or tempo or change the set list as I please. That side of things is easier and more relaxing and more spontaneous. But on the other end of things there is no margin for error. You always have to be on, and it is kind of mentally exhausting instead of physically exhausting. I come off stage sometimes with my brain just tired. You have to be dead on because there is just dead air if you're not, or an awkward silence if you make a mistake. (Laughs) So you can't just kind of fall back on your band and let them take over for a minute. I do have a Cellist who is amazing, but it is very much just myself at the center of it. It is intense.

Josh: You have always written acoustic, but how big of a difference was it to take songs like “Flux and Flow” and other songs that are very electronic and then strip it down into the acoustic version?

Lights: It was challenging, it really was. “Flux and Flow” I didn't think would work. I remember when I first trying it and being like “Well leave that one for later”. It just took a little bit because it doesn't have the same dynamics of a normal song. When you are playing acoustically you can't just strum and bang away at it and hope that it comes across. That song is so much about dynamics and then I realized that is what you have to bring to the acoustic version as well. You have to scream when the time comes to scream, and you have to crank the cello when the time comes to crank the cello. That becomes the key with the ones that were sort of tricky for me. That's one of the things with this acoustic album versus the first acoustic EP that I did. There was some tact involved but I think for the most part I was just sort of banging away on my guitar, and that's what I have been doing for acoustic versions for a long time. I think that is the very preliminary and primitive sort of way to do it. There is a whole lot greater of an art to it though and I have been discovering that and applying that to the various songs.

Josh: And how big was it for you on this release to bring in the guest vocals like Beau, Coeur de Pirate, and others?

Lights: It was nice, I mean Beau is only on one little talking clip at the end of a song but yeah I had Adam from Owl City, Coeur de Pirate, and Max from Arkells. Everyone, except for Beatrice of Cour de Pirate whom I don't know personally but I am a fan of her work and we have mutual friends so I was able to connect with her through that, it was just reaching out to people that you know and asking them to be a part of it. And I love that. I said this about “Siberia” too because there were some collaborations on there too, I mean Shad is a friend, Holy Fuck is a friend and I think that is the way it should be. I don't think it should be like “Alright so management has set you up with this person, now go write a song.” because I have done those and they never work. I mean you've never heard any of them right? (Laughs) So it was awesome and when it is somebody you respect you can vision their voice on a certain song or a few songs and you can let them decide what they want to do and add to it.

Josh: And the reverse of that is that you just helped Kaskade with a song not too long ago. What was that like, I heard there was a little turmoil in that because he got sick or something right?

Lights: Yeah, well it wasn't really turmoil it was just that originally we had like 3 days planned out to write. Then it all got worked down into one. So we had to be like “Alright what can we do in 1 day?” and a song came out in one day. So it was pretty remarkable, and not only the song but the vocal too. Everything was done in the same day. It was a blast and he has a writing partner that he works with who is amazing as well. It was nice to sit down with them and they are very chill. I have met a lot of Djs and a lot of them are pretty full of themselves, which makes me kind of hate it. But he is great, and he is a family guy, and just a good heart, you know? It was really nice working with him, and I was able to write something meaningful in a genre which often doesn't have very meaningful songs.

Josh: Especially in his side of it. Not being a true dubstep but still being a full electronic.

Lights: Yeah exactly. He is an exception though. I feel like his stuff is a bit more thought driven than most.

Josh: So what was it like being in the video with Beau for Blessthefall's video for 40 Days?

Lights: (Laughs) It is a funny experience being in a video when you're not the star. I was all bitter in the back sort of waiting to do my part, because I am use to me being the center of attention. So it was a bit of an eye opener for me. But yeah it was great just being there to support him the whole day, and luckily I didn't have to put make up on till the very end. It was really cool, and their angle on music videos is so different from mine. So its cool to be in that world and take a little from it and see what that's all about.

Josh: Totally, and with the relationship that you guys have how much of that has bled through to each others musical sides?

Lights: Well I guess we will find out, I mean when I first met Beau I was writing “Siberia” so that influenced that process in a way because I was falling in love for the first time. And right now I am happily married so I guess we will see what comes out of that. I mean I am writing about my heart and the things I am experiencing so you have to pull from that. And sometimes extreme emotions are the most susceptible to becoming songs. And when you are happily married there are no extreme emotions, you are full of content-ness and from that you have to find some kind of place of inspiration. So I guess we will see where it starts to bleed over, at this point it is mostly just being able to support each other in times of need. And I sang on his new record actually, and helped write some of those melodies with him. That was a nice surprise too, because I do love melody and he wanted to hear a little bit of that.

Josh: And that is one of those things that regardless of the genre, if you break it down to the song writing itself melody will always be there.

Lights: Yeah! I want them to do acoustic versions so bad because he has a great voice that is often times buried in that genre of music. Which is great, and it is perfect for what they are doing, but I just wish we could hear it more because it is a really great voice.

Josh: Do you think there is any hopes of bringing him on to more acoustic stuff, or maybe pushing him into that more?

Lights: (Laughs) I've been trying. We did do an acoustic cover of Lana Del Rey. It is one of the first times he has just been singing like that.

Josh: They are on Warped this year, is he bringing along the Golden Hearts brand?

Lights: He doesn't have a tent this year but he is doing a collab with Jake from August Burns Red who is doing this thing called Heart Support. It is this great little organization that just supports teens that are having a hard time, depression or whatever. It gives them an outlet to ask questions and seek advice and be supported. Which I think is a really great idea, especially now a days because depression seems to be rampant. So he will be with him at that tent.

Josh: If I'm not mistaken you guys just did a little 2 part interview/questionnaire thing for Heart Support right? Was that something that Jake asked you to do or was it just something that you guys felt like you wanted to help with.

Lights: He requested it, and normally I don't do things that have nothing to do with my music. It is a decision with my manager along time ago. You have to ask “What does this have to do with the integrity of my music”. But when it comes to something like that, and knowing what a lot of teens go through and discovering hormones and love for the first time it is just encouraging people to be confident in themselves. I thought it was a really good concept for them to be confident and understanding in what they want.

Josh: And in a roundabout way it ties back into the music.

Lights: Yeah, ultimately it does.

Josh: So what are the plans for the rest of the year, other than taking a little hiatus? Planning any other tours already, or more writing and studio time?

Lights: Well I have a lot of one offs like we have been doing. The acoustic tour is done for now, but I'll be doing a few festivals and a few dates with Tegan And Sara and maybe going on a college run once college starts back up. But in between there it is just writing and one shots. I've been writing for a long time but I think the real challenge is deciding what I wanna do and what I wanna sound like for the next record. You really can't make any moves until you find that out, and when I find it its just going to be the biggest downpour of celebration. And that's how it was before Siberia too, only I seem to of had more time to work on it. But this past couple of years has been so filled with touring that you really have to try to find a balance and figure out how to write during a crazy time of touring.

Josh: That is one of the hardest things to do on tour too, trying to sneak away for even a few minutes to write.

Lights: And you have to make yourself do that. Because you have your whole life to write your first album, then you tour a little bit, then you start working on your next record because you aren't touring as extensively. Then suddenly your second album comes out and you are touring that much more and you don't have time to write, then you are out of practice. It's really all about working the muscle and keeping at it.

Josh: Awesome, well that's all I've got is there anything you wanna say to fans? It's your typical closing question.

Lights: Sad to be finishing this tour, it has really been a good one. I love working with Kevin and Brad. And thank you to everyone for coming out they have been truly fun shows!