Lights!  She eats, sleeps, breathes music….she is music!  Aside from her attachment to her lap top and her kinship with video games (particularly World of War Craft), Lights finds salvation through song.  Some may have found her to be highly associated with the synth-pop band Owl City as they share similar energies and will be touring together.  However, Lights can definitely hold her own, especially with the support of her family and friends, particularly her long-time manager Jian Ghomeshi.  Through her metal band phase and her punk rock days to the indie/electro-pop way of life that she has adopted as her own today, Ghomeshi has stood by her. For the past eight years, Ghomeshi has remained highly confident and encouraging in Lights’ fiery pursuit of her dream as not only her manager, but as her friend.  Lights tells us, “It’s funny how you realize how many people are actually involved in your career.  These are the people who are there out of passion and out of a loving relationship.  That’s why I’ve been so blessed in this industry.”

How did you come to choose “Lights” as your artistic name?

It was my nickname for a long time and it came from my last name which is Poxleitner.  I made it my legal first name years ago, so it’s actually my first name now!

Oh, wow!  Well, Lights, as a child, you moved around quite a bit and used music as a safe haven for yourself.  Can you describe to me your journey in discovering your inner artist?

Well, moving around a lot was advantageous in the way that you have more time for yourself.  Because I was home-schooled, I had more time to spend on music.  Having said that, I did spend a lot of time doing music and that was because I found refuge in it.  We would be in so many different places and it’s kind of scary for a kid, so my dad would play his guitar late at night.  I would hear it coming up the stairwells and it would actually help me fall asleep.  It made me realize that music can have that effect on somebody, that it can take away your fear or make you feel certain things that other things can’t make you feel.  I knew there was some kind of power in that and it was just the perfect environment to work because my dad could teach me.  And, I had all that time at home.

Well, what kind of advice would you give to young fans who deal with similar situations, having a constant-changing living environment?

I would say definitely cling to the things that are stable in your life like your family and find something that you can pour your heart into, not too many things though.  Find one or two things like art or music; something where you can convey what you’re feeling because it’s probably the most productive way to express your feelings.

Well, music clearly was a great avenue of expression for you.  As a musical explorer, you have become talented in playing many instruments including guitar, drums, and piano.  Are there any other instruments you would like to dabble in?

Actually, I would love to become pretty well versed in the cello.  I started for a little while before, but I want to pick it up again.  It’s just really loud and beautiful.  I would love to know how to play the cello.

How would you describe Lights’ signature sound to a new audience?

I always say the same thing.  It’s “intergalactic electro pop”.  It’s pop music with really good songs that hopefully stand the test of time.  It’s electro as in I use a lot of synthetic elements and I always add the intergalactic part because of everything surrounding it, which is a big part of me as an artist…kind of like the comic I’m going to be putting out.  It’s very much sci-fi based, very intergalactic. 

Well, can you expand more for me on this comic you will be coming out with and your love for comics in general?

Yea!  Comics are one of those things that I started reading because I just couldn’t help it.  There are no limits.  These comic artists and writers can come up with the wildest ideas, just being absolutely extravagant with their storylines.  They can also make it a reality.  It’s just an adventure to read and that’s what’s very exciting about it.  So, I’ve taken up comics for a while and with the artwork.  I’m not the best artist in the world, but I can draw comics.  It’s nowhere close to realism, but it’s fun and leaves room for creativity.  So, I met up with Marvel Digital Comics and we were working on a series called Audio Quest:  A Captain Lights Adventure.  It’s based on pictures of me and right now it’s semi-animated with my music broken down into stems in the background.  From one angle it’s comic and it reflects a lot of my interests.  On another angle, it’s a way to show people my music and another side of it.  I feel like with the future of music and the entertainment industry, things like this are going to be important.  It’s finding new, creative ways to show people what you’ve got.

What do you think attracts fans to your music?

Well, I feel that when I write, I’m honest about what I want to write, the sound that I want to hear, and the way that I want to present myself.  It’s all very much me…me just having a lot of fun.  People can just sense that honesty in all aspects.  I think it’s also just confidence, no matter whether or not it’s “cool”.  It makes people feel like they can be confident too.

Okay, well to help us take a deeper look into your music, can you tell me about your album “The Listening”?

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