Lights Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Feb 11th 2010 10:51PM by Emily Tan
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Most of us were introduced to Lights when her song, 'February Air,' was used in Old Navy's 2008 clothing campaign. After winning the Juno award for Best New Artist in 2009, the 22-year-old singer-songwriter proves she's got more up her sleeve with her debut full-length album, 'The Listenting.' Spinner recently caught up with Lights, who'll be performing at this year's SXSW and is currently on tour with Owl City.

How did you get started in music?

Definitely started at a young age. I was a home-schooled kid. My dad's very musical, and my mom's more on the arts side of things. So she home-schooled us most of the time, and then one day every other week my dad would just teach us. He wouldn't just teach us how to read music; he actually didn't really know much about that. He just taught us how to love music, be passionate about it, and play from our hearts and by ear. I learned how to figure out songs and how to play guitar. And I just learned how to express myself through music. It's such a powerful force. I had no choice but to get into this.

Describe your sound.

I always call it intergalactic electro-pop. Electro-pop music refers to the actual sounds of the music -- pop songs that are really melody-driven surrounded by a lot of electro production.

What's the story behind the name "Lights"?

It came from last name, Poxleitner. It was a simplified version of that, and then it became my nickname. And then I legally changed my first name to Lights a few years ago. It's what I'm called now -- it's my first name. It's one of those things that you do because it's more of the person you're becoming, like getting a tattoo.

Who are your musical influences?

Inspirations for me are songwriters and songs that I think have stood the test of time. Take the Beatles -- my dad used to listen to them all the time -- Supertramp, ABBA. You're getting all these songs that you'll find to this day, and that's what's important to me.

What's your biggest vice?

Probably gaming, online gaming. I play World of Warcraft, and it's definitely a bit of a vice. You just go in that world, and you can't stop. There's actually a song on the album that's inspired a good part by World of Warcraft, so at least it's a productive vice.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Kind of what's in my everyday survival kit. Make sure you have water. Face wipes, so in case you can't get into the shower, you can get the cleanliness going on. And I always like to have comfortable shoes. Comfortable shoes to me is boots, so I need to have boots.

What's you musical guilty pleasure?

One of my favorite bands is actually t.A.T.u., and I'm not even ashamed to say that. I love t.A.T.u.!