Lights opens up about parenting, songwriting, and Supertramp
ZR: First of all, congratulations. Coolest name ever. I asked fans different things they wanted to hear about. The one thing that came up, over and over again, was about you being a mom, and baby Rocket’s name. I’ve got a billion questions here – it would be awesome to go through some of them.
Lights: Sure. You’ve got really artistic writing.
ZR: This is actually worse. This is my second copy. (Shows other notes as an example)
Lights: (Laughing) It reminds me a lot of my writing. I can’t even read it sometimes.
ZR: Speaking of writing – you’ve been writing forever.
Lights: I’ve been writing for a long time.
ZR: You were 15 when you started?
Lights: I wrote my first song when I was 11, and then I got an 8-track when I was 15 and was doing production. I wasn’t an official songwriter until I was 16.
ZR: Wow, an 8-track. Then you were working for Sony?
Lights: Yeah.
ZR: I was trying to do as much research for this before I met you.
Lights: (Laughing) There’s a lot out there.
ZR: A lot, a lot. Something I found out there was a song called “Perfect” and it made me wonder – from “Perfect” to “Portal” is a huge difference. Would you say that you’ve grown with your music?
Lights: For sure, absolutely. Every time. It’s funny to make [a connection] from perfect to portal because “Perfect” was written not for me. I wrote that for the show Instant Star. It was in the head of the main character I was writing for that season. It was supposed to be a song for her. It’s a funny example to bring up, because it’s one of the songs that’s out there which I wrote with another person in mind. Everything I write is for myself, but even within that, everything has changed. It’s a funny one to reference. The lyric in that song, even “I’m just a girl/ I won’t be changing the world,” I don’t personally believe that.
ZR: I didn’t think you did. It doesn’t mirror your music now.
Lights: Exactly.
ZR: I knew it wasn’t written for you at the time, but it was an interesting choice of writing compared to where you are now.
Lights: Totally.
ZR: I look where you are now, and I hear that song “Don’t Go Home Without Me,” and the growth really shows.
Lights: Yeah, it really has. And the cool thing is, I’ve seen the fans growing with it, too. I feel like everybody’s in it together and I want to write what I feel can be identified by the listeners. I feel we’re like a big family growing up together and […]
(Tiny scream of joy comes from Rocket across the room, while her dad, Beau Bokan, is taking her for a ride in one of the office chairs).
Lights: (Laughing) It’s going to be in your recording.
(More Rocket enthusiasm in the background.)
ZR: That’s adorable! It’ll make the recording better.
Lights: (Laughing) Added value to the recording. And I think that, I don’t know if it’s necessarily intentional, but I do listen back to my old records and it’s so obvious I was in in such a different place in my life. That first record it was all about me, and very personal – thinking about what you’re dealing with. You know, your first time living on your own in the world – depression and things like that. The second album was about falling in love for the first time and trying to explore new sonic boundaries. This one (Little Machines) is just a feel good record. When I look at the beginning, I’m so glad I’m not there anymore.
ZR: There are a couple songs on the new record that really move to that point, and I can see the variation. I’ve been listening to your work for the last two days straight to try and understand some of the intricacies.
Lights: Aww.
ZR: There’s a new song on the album called “Don’t Go Home Without Me.” Who is that about? Is it written presently?
Lights: It’s about […]
(Points with her thumb to Beau who, at this point, is dance-gliding across the room to a choir of giggles with Rocket.)
Lights: […] It’s about when you fall in love and you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. You see it over and over again. When you see an older couple, and they’ve been together for 70 years – when one dies, the other follows quickly after. I’ve always been fascinated by that. The idea that someone can make you want to carry on when they’re gone – that there’s no reason to be here anymore. That’s what it’s about.
ZR: When I heard the song, it made me think that it was a reflection of people close to you who are older – like a grandparent. I get it though. Katy Perry had a song with the same theme. So did Adam Sandler.
Lights: (Laughing) Adam Sandler. It’s so true, though. It’s the mutual chemical thing that happens when you become a unit, and if one dies, the other one dies too. It’s totally something that’s not of Earth.
ZR: It’s been over 10 years since you’ve moved from Timmins to Toronto, but more recently, you’ve moved to Mission, BC, right?
Lights: Well, actually, I was only born in Timmins and I only lived there for a couple months of my life. I grew up all over the place. A lot of time in North Bay.
ZR: Wow. I use to go to Canadore College there.
Lights: No way! That’s hilarious. I knew people that worked there. My friend’s dad worked there. My first year of [public] school was there (North Bay). I was homeschooled until grade eight.
ZR: The internet told me your parents are missionaries, and that you travelled a lot as a kid. That must have been cool.
Lights: It was an amazing way to be raised. I learned a lot about the world. I learned a lot about corruption and poverty, also, in the process. You know, I’m going into life a little less naïve than I think some people are. That’s unfortunate, because a lot of people don’t understand what that’s like. I’m working with World Vision trying to rally the troops and get people inspired to want to help overseas, and it’s hard to imagine until you see it, but it’s so true.
ZR: Wow, that’s so awesome. Way more than I knew about. Moving on – you’re about to go on tour across the US.
Lights: Yeah, I’m actually leaving for the UK in four days first.
ZR: What – that’s so cool. Where are you looking forward to going the most in the US?
Lights: You know, it’s funny, we just actually finished a US tour a month and a bit ago, and that was sort of like the big cities, and now we’re doing the in-between cities. So, some of my favorite places to play are New York and L.A., but, on this run, the southern places – amazing.
ZR: Florida?
Lights: All the [southern states]. The crowds there are super fun and it’s an escape from the wintertime, so I can’t wait for that. Going to Florida this time of year is exactly what you want to do, right?
ZR: Is the whole family going?
Lights: Yeah – actually Beau is going overseas, so my mum will be coming up. [I]can’t really watch the baby.
ZR: Actually, there were some fans who had questions about that.
Lights: Yeah?
ZR: Aleasha asked “How is mom life?”
Lights: How’s mom life? It’s awesome, that’s all I’ve got to say. It’s so fun. Every day you get to teach somebody something. You feel great every morning, and you [realize] “I have the power to build somebody,” and it seems so cool, and it’s so much fun. It’s funny, people think you get old when you have kids, but you get young, you get so much younger. We’re doing animal sounds and monster sounds, relearning how to teach the alphabet. It’s so cute.
ZR: I was just thinking you and Beau doing animal sounds. It’s not hard to imagine you doing that.
Lights: (To Rocket on a chair with Beau) Rocket! Rocket, what sound does a Lion make? Roar!
ZR: She’s so awesome.
(At this point, Lights hops off the couch, gets on all fours, and starts prowling over to Rocket and Beau).
Lights: What sound does a lion make?
Rocket: (Ferociously) Roar!
(We get back to the sofa).
ZR: Clearly very happy and proud parents, in the least. Is it true that Beau’s friend set up an introduction between you two?
Lights: Yeah. My A&R at Warner at the time, his assistant Rochelle, was his (Beau’s) roommate. I had just finished doing vocals on a friend’s record, and we went to a Taking Back Sunday reunion Show. He’s (Beau) is a huge Taking Back Sunday fan, too, so we both ended up at the same show, and were introduced at that show. Taking Back Sunday brought us together.
ZR: Awesome. Because you rocked so hard [tonight], would you ever come out with a live album? Or more so, cut out some of the pop and add more rock.
Lights: Well you know, that’s where the records have been going, especially with Siberia. It was meant to be more dynamic and rough around the edges. With this new record, there is certainly pop there, and I love the challenge of pop songwriting. I think there is something beautiful about that – it’s a genre that can reach so many people. It’s easy to pack, absorb. Even this record was recorded with the band live, or [rather], off the floor. That was meant to bring some of the energy we have live. I think that we have evolved into more of a rock/electronic act than the pop that was on the first record. That was before I toured or anything like that – before I knew what I really wanted to do live. Your whole body of work matters and you have to play a little bit of everything. Yeah, I’d totally say we are evolving more towards something a little bit more fun live. The sort of mid-tempo pop songs are not as fun to play live, so you have to be conscious of that while you’re writing, and when you’re putting things together.
ZR: There is a song on the deluxe version of Little Machines called “From All Sides” – it rocks so hard. I think it rocked the hardest on the album.
Lights: Thank you! It’s my mom’s favorite one. Her favorite artists are Sting and me.
ZR: Your mom’s got good taste! So, some fan questions, but before we get into that, do you have any words for aspiring artists on-campus?
Lights: Figure out what you’re good at before you try to find someone to make that up for you. I think a lot of people, especially with these singing shows on TV like American Idol, think that you just have to rely on someone else to take you there, but that’s not the way it works anymore. Before I even put out my first single, I had been writing for 10 years and had explored seemingly every genre, tried my hand at every instrument, and wrote a thousand songs before I felt like I was comfortable. When you find that, I think that people will come knocking. That’s my biggest advice – write, find your spot, find your pocket, find who you are and what you want to give the world, and what you want to say. Because, if you don’t, someone else will make that up for you.
ZR: You went so far [with your] goal and vision that you even changed your name. Which is becoming a legend in Canadian music culture.
Lights: It’s funny, it’s a plural noun. It’s not a name. That’s what’s cool about it.
ZR: Dan asked on Facebook – would you ever open for The Darkness?
Lights: I’ve actually never been asked that. To answer that question, no. Apparently their fans are super dedicated and don’t like anyone else. It’s sort of like DragonForce – I heard a horror story [about them]. I knew about a band opening for them, and their fans just wanted to see DragonForce. I think opening for the Darkness would be like that too. I don’t think I would open for them because they wouldn’t like it.
ZR: So, two twins I met, Robyn and Kim, here at the show, said that your music had a really positive effect on them through their dark times. You’ve got some really amazing fans out there.
(Coincidentally, it’s a half-hour after the show, and 30 people are still screaming praise outside the dressing room).
Lights: Amazing. It’s so funny being an artist and writing music for people, and you get this huge, vast pile of letters at the end of a tour of people feeling like they can tell you their darkest secrets. It’s a really funny place to be, because you’re almost anonymous, but at the same time, they have listened to you in their darkest hour. They tell you everything. It’s a strange burden I have when I open a letter. A lot of it is really nice, but a lot of it is people telling me they were abused at home, or they are going through depression, or they’re cutting or contemplating suicide. You get all of these dark stories, and it’s pretty incredible because everything at the end of it says that, in one way or another, my music has been with them in a moment like that. That is insane – it’s the craziest feeling, and it keeps me motivated to want to write something that’s uplifting to a certain degree, and now I have this thing in my head, where now I never finish a song unless it has a resolve at the end of it, because you can’t leave something open-ended that is so powerful. Music is so powerful. I learned that from a young age when I used to have night terrors – my dad would play and everything went away. It’s pretty strange because music doesn’t exist – it’s not real, it’s not tangible, but it’s so powerful. It’s magic. When I first moved out and I started writing for The Listening, I was dealing with a lot of things these young girls are dealing with – body image issues, depression – a lot of these things that can knock you off you feet. Especially now, with online scammers and bullying and all that. I think that when you connect with people who listen to your music in that way, the power that moves in that is unreal. It’s crazy. I feel so honored to have the ability to do it.
ZR: I’m sure your fans will enjoy what you just said. Even walking around in this space and asking people questions, you received so much love.
Lights: I have the best fans, man. It’s crazy and they’ve been there from the beginning.
ZR: I can see where some of them are coming from. You rocked so hard tonight. You definitely have a new fan.
Lights: When you asked about doing a live album – we’ve thought about doing a DVD or something. We’ve released some live sessions on iTunes and the reception was awesome. It was really inspiring to get that back.
ZR: Random questions?
Lights: (Laughing) Okay.
ZR: What is the cutest animal?
Lights: That little baby over there.
(Big laughs from Rocket at this moment, followed by the room breaking out in laughter).
Lights: A panda, for sure.
ZR: Can you do the Macarena?
Lights: No. Definitely not. I have no idea where to start.
ZR: There are directions, I think you’ll be fine. What was the last song you played on your iPod?
Lights: It was probably – oh, I just bought Breakfast In America, by Supertramp. It’s a phenomenal record. I’ve loved that record for so long. I actually have some really great memories with that record. I use to drive around with my dad and talk about songwriting. It’s when I first really got introduced into songwriting. Parts of Supertramp’s music are amazing. Just the sections are a brilliant way to put together music. It was super inspiring, so I remembered how much I missed that record and went out and bought it the other the day. That’s the last thing I listened to.
ZR: Did you preorder Majora’s Mask [on 3DS]?
Lights: No! When is it coming out?
ZR: Sometime soon. It’s available for preorder now.
Lights: That’s crazy.
ZR: Last question. Thank you so much for your time.
Lights: Of course! This is fun.
ZR: Anything else that UoG students, or the Guelph community, or Canada, should know?
Lights: Anything in general that they should know? Oh my goodness – phew – okay. You know what? Enjoy the moment. It’s something that I’ve learned so strongly over the past year, even. If you’re really enjoying a moment, think about it, take it in and just be in it. Like, live in it. I think we let the best moments slip because were looking for the next big thing. Enjoy the good things when they come and try to recognize them when they are there.
ZR: Thank you. Thank so much.
Lights: Not a problem!