If itās possible to have a coming of age at 27, look no further than Lights as an example. Her most recent album, the stellar electronic LPĀ Little Machines, finds Lights not only at her most vulnerable, but her most confident as well.Ā
And, rightly so. The journey between 2011āsSiberiaĀ andĀ Little MachinesĀ was riddled with writerās block, poetry, and the onset of motherhood. (Lights and husband Beau Bokan welcomed their daughter, Rocket Wild, to the world back in February.) So, like any creative faced with something as big as parenthood, the question of whether to stop or keep going presented itself. But, when youāve permanently changed your name to your stage name, the option ofĀ notĀ making isnāt really an option.Ā
And, thus,Ā Little MachinesĀ came about: a collection of 11 tracks that sparkle with grown up musings and the innocence of new discovery. Itās Lights at her brightest. Itās Lights reborn and thatās just the beginning.Ā
Whatās the story behind choosing āPortal,ā a single-chord track, to kick offĀ Little Machines?Ā
āWith this record, I was trying a lot of different creative angles to find a spot that felt cool. Thatās what it took to get me out of this writerās block I had at the start. I ended up doing a lot of therapeutic creative exercises to get out of it. One of those things was poetry. I forced myself to write a poem every night in a poem book to free myself up lyrically, without the pressure to apply it musically. It was a chance to blather out words ā things that didnāt need to make sense. The lyrics to āPortalā are actually one of those poems I wrote in the depths of the exercise.Ā
So, months later, as I started to really pull myself out of this creative rut, I took a trip to New Mexico. I put the pressure on myself to write a song every day. And, as I was going through my poem book, I thought itād be cool to spin āPortalā over one chord on my acoustic. I didnāt think much of it. It was cool. It was cinematic, but I didnāt know if it was just because I was in the desert or not. I sent it off to my manager anyway and he flipped over it! And, as more people heard it, more and more loved it! Itās so special because itās a poem pulled from the depths of my frustration. Anyway, it was loved to the point that it became the opener.āĀ
Do you know what set your writerās block off?Ā
āI think, in my experience so far, every record becomes harder to find out what itās going to be. Itās harder to know what youāre going to write about, what itās going to sound like; essentially, how are you going to one-up yourself. And, with each record comes a slew of more fans and that raises the expectations ā especially the personal expectations I put on myself. All the things you shouldnāt be thinking about ā the numbers, hit songs, all the things that are crippling to creativity ā start to bog you down. I really had to get to a point where I wasnāt thinking about those things. I had to find a way to get back to the innocence of imagination that I had when I first started making music; the joy I had in just creating things. And, I really believe I got there. I feel like a new artist all over again, but with the experience of having three records under my belt and years of touring. Itās a pretty amazing feeling.āĀ
Thatās amazing. How did being pregnant with Rocket influence your creative process?Ā
āWhen I found out I was pregnant, I was in the middle of figuring everything out and writing for the record. And, then I found out. Itās such an amazing and huge thing. It brought me to a crossroads where I had to decide whether Iād continue music because itās going to be a lot more work. Or, do I just take a break and give it up. It was in those moments that I really discovered how incredible how being able to do what I do is. I mean, with the fanbase weāve built up over the past six years and the experiences Iāve created touring, I wasnāt ready to give it up. Pregnancy helped me realize how passionate I am about making music. I thought āIf all else fails, Iāll still have this amazing family!ā Pregnancy made me cut the fat, cut all the trivial things that brought on my writerās block in the first place. It made me live in the moment more.Ā
āAnd, thatās the record I made: a record about living in the moment and enjoying the now.ā
Have you seen a shift in the material youāre drawn to since becoming a mom?Ā
āItās hard to really associate changes in taste with motherhood. I think I have learned that me as a person ā things that I like ā arenāt any different than before I had a child. I think thatās a common misconception about motherhood because I thought thereād be a sudden shift, too. I thought I wouldnāt be the same person I was. But, thatās not the case. A child is only augmenting your life, not changing it. Thatās what Iāve really come to learn. Sheās come to every show! Itās my life, but better. So, my taste hasnāt changed, but my perception of life has. Rocket really shows me the importance of living in the moment. Previous to being a mother, you get swept up in chaos and swept up in things that donāt matter. You forget to sit down, take a breather, and level yourself. Now, if I get really busy in the day, Iām forced to stop every few hours and feed her. I get to sit down. I get to breathe. She makes me enjoy every day. She makes the day last a little bit longer. I think she has made my life better.āĀ
Whatās the most challenging part of being a mom, wife, and musician on the road?Ā
āIād say itās the added layer of responsibility. But, itās something that comes naturally when you have a child. To me, itās not extra work. I think touring is more fun than it was before! However, I will say that the biggest challenge is flying. Taking flights means having your child on your lap. We have a European tour coming up. Iām kind of dreading those flights, but Iām pretty sure I can handle it if thatās the only challenge. [laughs]ā
Definitely! So, not many of our readers might know this, but youāve permanently changed your name to Lights. Is there a difference between Lights on-stage and Lights off-stage?Ā
āThe reason I changed my name was because I didnāt want to have two different personalities. I think a lot of artists can get caught up in that ā perhaps less so nowadays with social media and your personal life is public. For me, changing my name to my artist name was a statement saying I donāt want to be this different person when Iām writing. Thereās a disconnect when youāre on stage feeling like someone else, you know? I knew I was ā and am ā the same person on and off, and I wanted everyone else to know that, too. Music isnāt a day job. Itās everything that I am. So, for this record cycle, Iāve come up with this cool symbol Iāve put everywhere. Itās on the album cover, on the shirts, I wear it on my jacket. It represents everything Lights is as whole. I want to be able to represent the same things the fans are. You know? I want us to be all of the same passion. My name and the logo was just a means of uniting my world.āĀ
Thatās branding at its finest!Ā
[laughs] āDefinitely! As a fan of anime and comics, having a symbol is just cool. I watch this anime calledĀ Attack on TitanĀ where everyone has their own symbol that represents their town rankings. This symbol is the fantasy side of me coming out.āĀ
You should have, like, a Batman light that shines in the sky.Ā
āRight?! I could beam the symbol in the air and all the Lights fans would band together.Ā ThatāsĀ what Iām talking about!āĀ
You mentioned earlier that you feel renewed. So, what is the new Lights?Ā
āMostly itās me rediscovering my passion to music. I feel so new. I feel like itās my first time putting out a record, my first time coming into the world as a musician but with a history. Itās a hard feeling to capture, but I think Iāve done it. If I were to recommend myself to anyone, Iād recommend this album because itās a combination of everything Iāve learned. This is who I am. I think we really captured it. I think we made a classic electronic album that feels timeless.āĀ
Oh, definitely ā especially in the sea of boom-boom-boom EDM. Itās refreshing, honestly. Do you have a favorite track?Ā
āWell, I wrote 43 songs for this album. The ones that made it are the top 11. Those are my favorites. But, there are a few that are real special like the last one āDonāt Go Home Without Me.ā Itās one of the most earnest love songs Iāve ever written. Itās really special.āĀ
Itās a great bookend to āPortal.āĀ
āYeah! Itās about the journey.ā
Speaking of a journey and the years youāve spent in this industry, how do you stay fresh?Ā
āWell, therein lies the writerās block! You donāt want to make the same thing over again. So, how do you revamp and refresh? Thatās what I explored. One way was poetry. Another was painting and exploring creativity through a visual medium ā more so than ever. I wanted to see the music. I dove into the stories and discographies of revered female songwriters like Patti Smith. They influenced this record in a big way. I studied their trajectories and careers. I saw her style of writing come to life in her music. It helped me understand myself more.āĀ
Is there a particular piece of advice you go back to when you feel stuck?Ā
āIām always reminded of the goal I set for myself when I set out to make music. Itās pretty naive when I look back on it, but itās: Reach as many people as possible, positively. Thatās not to say I write inspirational music, but Iāve always known that music is powerful. Itās non-tangible, but it can move us so much. Iāve always seen that as being a great power. And, you have to use your power for good. Iāve always tried to make music that makes people feel good and take them out their daily bull. Every time I write a song, whether itās out of depression or what have you, thereās a constant theme of joy; something thatāll make you feel good.ā
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