Lights

Part 1

0:03Get the Sherpity. Yes you do. Is that what you use on stage? Yes. I use the beta-fated ones. They're a little better. For your female voice? Or for your voice? They're just like the Sherpity only a little bit crisper. OK. Are you a techie geek when it comes to that kind of stuff? Definitely a half to you, right? You have to know what you're using and what you're using. Yeah, well, I'm surprised. Where's the key chart? Speaking of techie kind of stuff. Well, that's the thing. It's a mini controller if you have any kind of techie. No. No. I know microphones to the working right. And the key chart is no. Well, my main key chart is I'm making a controller, right? So that actually has no sound banks. You have to attach it to a keyboard and thusly to a P.A. system in order to get anything out of it. Wow. So if I just brought it in, it would be absolutely silent. That would not be fun. For us or for the viewers and listeners. It's Russell. Russell, I heard. I heard that.

0:49I'm glad you know. I was going to talk about that in a little bit. But talking about names. So your name is actually Lights now. Yes, it is. Why did? Why? Valerie was not in that phrase? Well, I kept that one as a middle name. OK. It's not even called for a while. It feels natural and it does come out of my last name. It's like a simplified version of my last name. And it just feels like my name. I mean, I feel like it's just part of becoming the person that you're becoming over the course of time. I'm not getting rid of any other parts of me. It's just adding more on. How do your parents feel about that? Are they cool with it? They like it and they fully support it. It's a derivative of the last name anyways, which is complicated as it is. Is that a pronounce of say? Pox-Likner. Pox-Likner. Oh, there's the lights. Yeah. So I mean, I think they feel good that it's not a name.

1:38I pull out of the middle note. That's awesome. So you're going to play a song for us in a little bit. Yeah. The new track, Savior. Yes. Tell us about that song. Savior is, well, for starters, it's the first track off of Money Record, which comes out in a week. In a week? Yeah, we'll talk about that. I'll be the next time. I'll be the main about this. I'm very excited. And it's kind of, well, it means a lot to me because it's kind of the perfect representation of the record and the way that I write music in general, in that it's all spawned from very dark moments, which is kind of ironic, in a sense. Things your songs are happy. Yeah. They're happy sounding, right? Well, that's the thing. They're kind of sad but hopeful. And Savior is a perfect example of that, where I was really, really down. And that song really pulled me out of it. So when I listened to it, I'm not really reminded of that. I'm more reminded of the positivity surrounding

2:23coming out of a dark place. So do you use songwriting as like a therapeutic tool for yourself, darling? For sure. I mean, if I go a month without writing a song, which has happened before, it's hard. It's a hard month. And then when you actually finally do write a song, it's like a big sigh of belief. Mm-hmm. So you're going to play that for us right now? I think I will. Lights is in studio with me here. The new record, the listening one week, and it take away. So it's finally, after all the EPs and all the singles and all the stuff, you finally got your first record out. This is the debut record is what all this has been leading up to. All those other things were advertisers. And this is the meal. The entree, the main course. So are there songs from the EPs on the record or how's it working? Is it all new stuff? Well, from the, I only actually really have one EPO. And there's been some singles here. And I did release a couple of remixes and stuff in the states. But yeah, essentially the EP for the songs

3:10from that will go on the record, as well as a ton of new ones. There's 13 in total. There you go. And the new record. So you're going to hear one of which is a remix, which is going on from the EP. It's kind of cool. It's a remix of ICE. Oh, yeah. Is that your favorite song? It's fun to play for sure. It's not my favorite, though. OK. What is your favorite? Off the new record, I want to say, well, the fact is, the way I put records together is the best of what I'd written over the past two years. So obviously, it's pretty much down to the ones that I love. So I love all of them. But I do have a couple of favorites, one of which is called Quiet. And it's just like a lesson. Cool. How much went into the track listing of the records? I know that first record is a big deal for everyone. Oh, yeah. A lot of thought went into it. And every aspect of it, like the track listing,

3:55I was working with my manager, Gian, and a ton of different forms of how we wanted it to go and what kind of storyline and feel and how we wanted the listing to go. And it's probably so much thought goes into it. The way the songs are going to pan out till the end of the record. And then artwork and everything is supposed to be able to listen to the record and look at the artwork and be brought somewhere else. Well, back in the day, not so much anymore. But I like that when people do want to bring it back to that kind of thing. Yeah, it's supposed to be like that. And it's very graphic novel inspired artwork. Well, much like your videos over there. Exactly. That's all it takes place in the same sort of alternate universe. Alternate universe. You bring that word up a lot of noise. I know. You mentioned Gian. I was thinking about bringing one of these giant papers and reading his huge biography. I was like, you know what? I don't know how he does it. It's too much work. He is incredible. I'll tell you that.

4:41How did you meet him? Because he's not really known for managing bands. He's more a radio guy. And well, I'm obviously free with him. Well, yeah, he's got a ton of stuff. I'm just want to say that. Kind of bogs my mind how he manages my career and his own, because he's a busy enough man as it is. But I mean, it seems to be going pretty well. Oh, yeah. Apparently he's doing your job. I don't know. Does he sleep? I don't know. Probably not. Probably not. He's a robot. But he's fantastic. And we actually met bizarrely enough. Here's about 15. And I was doing this little random photo shoot for Walmart. OK. Yes. I was not a model by any means. But my mom was working there. And I had the opportunity to be in a flyer. I was like, this is awesome. I'm getting 30 bucks. I'm going to do this. So ultimately, the picture actually sent in with a picture made with the guitar. And then the people in the makeup artist actually asked me if I played. And I'm like, yeah, I write and sing.

5:27And I actually had a demo that I'd created. Because I'd been recording on this little eight track that I bought and everything. And showed him saying for him, for some reason, I was willing to jump and sing for anyone. Well, good. That's your job. That's how you make the living. Exactly. Well, I mean, that's 15. I was ready for it. And he freaked out and called she on. And then I played some songs as she on to tell, because he had been coming through a couple weeks later for a festival, a folk festival. Which he was performing for his own solo music aside from Moxie previous. Yeah, he does everything. On your another. You know, he had a record out under Gion. I got it. Yeah, I'll take a listen. Yeah. All fans of Gion. And he's like, oh my goodness, he sends potential in what I had. And we just started working together. So it's been seven years now. Wow. And now you're Juneau winner? You have the first record coming out.

6:12Yeah, I mean, I'll tell you. One of the greatest things he's taught me is a number of things is to be patient. And I don't like waiting and working on it over the past seven years has been very strenuous for me. Because I love just rushing everything. But I'm so glad because this is exactly the way I want it to be. Well, that's good. And let's play track off the record. Yeah. Give it up to you. You mentioned Kwai as your favorite. So maybe we should play that one. Well, it's not. Should we do that? It's not really radio friendly. It's not really. I'm not told no. OK. It's not really out yet. But as far as ones that are out, let's play. I don't know. Maybe like, maybe ice. Ice, you like ice? OK. We'll do five questions in a second. OK. Sounds good. So five questions, one more answers. Ready? Roder Studio. Studio. Landon or McCartney?

6:58Landon. Song you've written your most proud of. Doesn't have to be one word. It's not one word. It's such a hard one. Damn it. I'm spinning all my words. OK. I'm just going to go with, drop my soul off. OK. Oh, hey. We play that one a lot. And Lyric Smelly or Cadence, most important thing to song. Cadence. There you go. One word, Lyric. Me. Me. Thank you. Much appreciated. Thank you so much.

Part 2

0:01Okay, I didn't see you there. For the rest of the Niki D's, I'm Lites, and you're watching MSN Exclusives. Well thanks for doing this.

0:46Of course. I'm so excited to have you here with this new brand new acoustic record. I haven't touched the vinyl yet. Really? I touched the plastic but not the vinyl. Oh, let's take this out of the... Will you? Should I? Will you do me the honor? Okay. Whoa. It feels so good. Feels nice. Yeah, it looks awesome, man. It's just so nice to see all the planning actually in real life. Wow. So cool. It shouldn't be this fascinating about my own album. Should I do it? Yeah. I like the back cover. Where's that princess? There's that around here. This was taken... Okay, I was on a riding trip in LA and I said we need photos for the acoustic album. So I bought a camera and my friend Tina who works on a lot of my webstep, she works for Warner.

1:32She drove to Joshua Tree with me one day and we took these photos. Just photos. Yeah. That's amazing. I have another surprise. Speaking of Joshua Tree...no, no pants. I'm really that alone. Just keep looking at it. Anyway. Another surprise where you're speaking of Joshua Tree and cactuses and things like this. You have a nachos dish here at... I do. Lovely sneakies. And it's coming over right now. Is it? Wait. Wait. Why don't you tell us about this cactus in the valley. Cactus in the valley. How did this happen? This is like sandwiches places in LA, right? Where people get sandwiches named after them. Do people get that? Oh my god. Do you see this? Are you seeing this? So what's on here? Thank you. Basically we have... I'm a fan of sneakies right now. Oh, let's go for it. Oh, we got a chair. Oh, that's a droopy one.

2:17That's a droopy one. That's a droopy one. I have to hold it. This is horrible. These are the problems. Not your problems. Not your problems. I love it. Oh, so it's got a little kick to it. Got kick. So here's the deal. I'm a fan of sneakies. You just play here a lot. You just come here a lot? I just come here. I was like... One of my favorite spots in Toronto. Right. And I think that they probably caught one of that because I always tweet about them and everything. And it asked that we wanted to do a collaborative not show. And we did. And so I just came and tested a whole bunch of stuff and they had some ideas. It's not my ideas. It's the chefs here. And then we just kind of put the elements together that I like. Which are what? So people come and sneakies and they order the cactus and the malle nachos. Yes. And what did they get? So you're going to get basically what's on the King's Crown which is the famous nacho

3:02from here. So it's cheese in the sauce and the guacamole and sour cream. And you get the salsa. And you also get this chicken which is kind of southwestern and kind of spicy. Yeah. And there's rice as well. There's rice. You can choose it when you meet either. Oh, we have a little more. Yeah, so there's rice. And it's a southwestern version of the classic sneaky these nachos which is like cactus in the valley. Have you added these, this is a stupid question we're going to go with anyway. Have you added the ingredients into the song when you sing it live? I should. You sneaked like a person you should. So the rice finally found me. Exactly. And left me in the guac. Does this sound good? Yes, I think so. Anybody who sings sounds good. Speaking of which, so this is the second time you do an acoustic record just stripping things down to vocals, guitar, cello, piano at times.

3:49Why? Why is this, are these the way the demos sound or are you rearranging them to fit the acoustic record? A lot of it's rearranged. I mean a couple of the songs are written acoustically. Cactus in the valley for example was written acoustically. But most of them, I'm very moved when I come up with new sounds and drums and everything and electronics. A lot of stuff is written that way. And so this album was a real challenge and exciting for me to strip everything back and figure out how to interpret these things purely acoustic. And now it's actually been like a two year project. Before Siberia even came out, I went away to a cottage and just learned how to do everything acoustically and strip everything down. And that was kind of the demo stage. And you know, now years later, I took it to a nice studio last year, I had Kevin Fox come in and play cello on it. So there's some live strings, had some guest vocalists and it became this like beautiful

4:36product is something that's been kind of a labor of love for a couple of years. Talk about the guests, Koopa Piata, one of them. Yep. And so I was just saying that verse in French or that she? I did. I mean, she's just, I'm a big fan of her work. She's got an amazing voice. And I've never been able to sing in French. I love the language, but I can't speak it. I've tried. There was a salindian song I learned when I was very young. Okay. But I don't even know how to do it. I'm singing is right. But anyways, I wouldn't even go there. The challenge with singing something in French is you can't just translate it. It has to be translated artistically. So the lyric and the sentiment comes across. So she did that. She sat down with it and she translated a verse in a chorus and sang it. I love the way that she delivers it. It's very nice to hear. It was just Pringer Post baby. Actually, it's funny.

5:21We were talking about it pre-baby. She had it maybe in two weeks after she went into the studio to sing it. So she's a real champion. She's a real champion. She's a real champion. Yeah. We never actually, I still haven't met her. So this has all been done on email. It's all been done on email. Oh, wow. Yeah. And Geeon, my manager gave me her number and I hit her up. And that's what was really cool about this record. Everyone had text-of-the-email and asked if they wanted to be part of it. Some didn't work out, but some did Adam from Owl City sang on Cactus in the Valley. Max from Raquel sang on Siberia. It was just like, hey, you want to sing on this record? And then do you set and do you got them shoes? What songs do you want to sing on? A couple of them I gave options to, but for the most part I can hear you on this one. And this would be perfect. If this doesn't work, let me know. If we need to change keys, let me know. And luckily I'm a fan of all the people that are on the record.

6:07So I know what their voice kind of fits in and how they sound and what it would be good with. I'm, this is a completely switching topic, but I haven't mentioned your blonde hair. Oh, yeah. And this is brand new. So I figured this is different. The record coverage is not so wonderful. It is. I know. I have dark hair. What are you doing? Why is this happening? It's just needed to. You need to change every now and you can't see the same forever. You can't. Especially as an artist. You can't always feel the same because your music is going to sound the same then. You can only write as honest as the things you're experiencing, I think. So whatever. You got to move yourself to the next level. Not even close to everything. I mean, we're fools to think that if we change one thing, that everything else is going to move along with it. You just have to take steps and just move along.

6:52You only live once. That was the first time, literally the first time I posted my blonde hair was yellow. So when did this happen? When did you do it? Two weeks ago. So has it changed you as a change your perception of writing? Have you written since? Has it done what you hoped it would do so far? I think it's all part and parcel of whatever the next thing is going to be. I do, every time I look at the mirror, I don't look like I did a month ago. So it's very exciting for me when I do my makeup and you're finding new ways to do it. It sounds so lame. You find new things that look good on you and then suddenly you're walking differently. I remember that's how it was when I got my first tattoo. I'm walking differently. One more confidence probably. I don't know. I just did what you like. You know, I was like, oh yeah, I have to know and see it.

7:38I don't. But then I think that's how it is. You have anything recent? The one that's almost done now is like butt basically. And it's a cane variant from a little work raft. Of course it would be. It's amazing. Dog sledding in the arctic. Yeah. What? Amazing. Sounds crazy. I feel like I have like notches on my teeth. No, you're good. I would have said something. You're a good friend. I would definitely say something. I have a good friend. I like that about you. Good friends tell people that, right? Right. Do I have anything right to? You're fine. Good friend. Yeah. Yeah, there's all kinds of stuff on his teeth. Just kidding. I know. So arctic. We went to a new Vic. Northwest territories, I think eight degrees north of the arctic circle. So we're in the arctic.

8:24It was like – 37, – 40 the whole time. Really amazing experience. When we zoomed in CBC, one level to get some cool videos to ramp up to the cubic tour, to the Cusukture which turned out really nice. A great experience, but also to play a show at the Igloo Church, Cusuk Show, to raise money basically that instead of paying admission you bring food item because the food bank was ransacked a couple times up there. So by the end of the show we ended up raising a truck full of food for the food bank which was really nice in the fly. And no, they can't have ronautos. And I mean food's really expensive up there, everything's shipped in. And it's tough. It's isolated, but everyone there's amazing and everyone there's really cool. And it was such a cool experience. And dog-sailing was nice. They didn't listen to me. I just went.

9:09And that was the first day they saw the sun after 30 days. And I saw the video you're talking about. How are the songs going to be done live? Like those videos, just you and Acello and you moving around. For the most part, yeah. And things evolve and that's the beauty of doing something acoustically. There's so much room for movement. And so much room for changing. And you can just stop in the middle or change the key or whatever. It's just like there's so much freedom during an acoustic show. If I wanted to do something acapella I could. Because that option is there. And it's very different from a full band performance when everything's a bit more structured. And there's a separation between you and the crowd. You have this intimacy and this spontaneity that you can run with. I was like I say, somehow you pulled off really like I saw you sell it by last year. And that crowd, it was, I don't know, what did you feel for? Which one of which show did you come to?

9:55Oh, you're going to put me on the spot? I remember it was like a Saturday night? Elsieum? Is that a place? Oh yeah. Yeah. Totally. I can't believe you remembered that because I didn't remember that. Well, it's a weird word. Elsieum. What does that mean? I thought it was a Lissium or something. Maybe it was Elsieum. Maybe it was Elsieum. I think you're right. No, you're probably right. He's right. I don't think I'm right. I think it's ELY, which would be a Lissium. Anyway. I don't know. I think, I don't know. Anyway, it was fun. Whatever. But it was a very intimate show nonetheless. And everyone, with all that stuff going on in the music, it still felt like, I don't know, I tweeted Gee-On being like this. You can not believe what you're missing right now. Oh, that's awesome. That's awesome. No, that was a fun show. That was a fun show. That was a fun show. It was funny because we walked. I remember walking in there. Yeah, I'm telling you. I remember walking in there. And we had to cart all our gear up on the street. We're driving our gear in carts, blocks and blocks. And we get to the venue and there's nobody there.

10:41It's kind of like, oh, this is going to be really weird. Five minutes before we play it, boom, the place packed. It was super fun. There is an intimacy with those shows. There's a different kind, though. I mean, it's not verbally communicative or you aren't influenced by the crowd in terms of what you're going to end up doing. You know what I mean? You kind of have a set plan. To a certain degree, it is. But it's more of a performance. Whereas the acoustic shows, more of everyone's here to end this together. It's cool. It's cool. Everyone's singing along to television. Yeah, exactly. The one I was going to bring up with the Arctic was inspiration. Like a trip like that is a once in a lifetime kind of thing. Yeah. So any song come out of that? Any ideas, lyrics, whatever have you. Moments just hanging out in the guitar, just sitting up there at 11 in the morning when it's so dark is a pretty crazy feeling.

11:27Those kind of restless moments are the most creative. A lot of the ideas for arrangements on the acoustic album, particularly vocal arrangements and ideas for filler and in spots where, you know, shad was or the dubs. Breakdown was. A lot of those ideas came when we were, we had just come back from Australia on a tour and I was insanely jet-like. I couldn't sleep. I would just lay awake until the sun came up. All these ideas were flowing and all these ideas were flowing. So, and knew, but when you're in a position where you're, it's just not normal. It's otherworldly. And that's when the ideas come. You can't be too logical to be creative. It's a tough thing. You've got to always be kind of naive. And then where do you go with that? Do you go to your phone and write down lyrics? Do you do? Voice notes? Yeah, OK. Just lyric file.

12:12I have lyric documents that are just... Well, just words and words and words. Yeah. And lyrics first or guitar or piano for it? Like, what do you gravitate to? It's all, I mean, it's all very much together. It happens at the same time. That being said, a word can inspire a whole song. So, lyric is the most important part, for sure. Let's talk about it. Let's do that for one of these songs. We're trying to think of which one we haven't talked to. Well, let's do Cactus the Valley because the noxious are sitting right here. They're delicious. So, I can't say they are delicious. I'm going to keep eating but I can hear the crunch in the microphone. I'm just like, I'm probably still hot. After the cameras go off, we're going to eat before. Oh, I'm holding. Cacked in the Valley, ironically, was written right at the end of the Owl City tour. OK. I don't even know if he knows that.

12:58Oh, and he sings on this record? Oh, OK. Yeah. And it's the irony. Yeah, that's it. The irony. It was a long tour, five months. Always gone. And then right after that, we went out on our own tour in the UK. So that was on to the end of its five months and everyone's exhausted. Ever at the end of the row, we had been home in a long time. And I remember getting the first alone time I had in a while, sat down on the floor of our hotel room and it was kind of weird. When you leave people on tour that you've been on tour with for months. It's like summer camp. It's sad. I mean, it's not even just that. It's just elements like this life is changing all the time. And so I had some alone time and sat down and wrote Cactus in the Valley in like an hour.

13:46That was the quickest song on the record. And yeah, it was really, really special experience for me. I found the guitar pattern and originally just wrote it with this folky guitar pattern. And then on Siberia, I ended up making sort of this ambient fill-colons vibe that fit into the record. And then for this, it's a piano version. So there's just so many different ways that I've interpreted the song. And now it's in the last uniform. It is. And I'm starving. So I'm going to let you go. But five questions, five quick questions and answers. Road or studio? Oh. When I'm in the studio, I miss the road. When I'm in the road, I miss the studio. Right now, I kind of miss the road. Cool. Well, good. Because you're about to go back out. Yeah. Here we go. Landon or McCartney? McCartney. My dad. My dad is a big fan. Okay.

14:31When you hear a song, what usually hits you first. Leericks, melody, or rhythm? Leericks. And the valuables. Really? Cool. One of them, yeah. I think you said fluxed flow last time. Fluxed flow is one of my favorites to play. Okay. So energizing the production on it. I had so much fun creating. Cool. In one word. I can't remember what you said last time. Lights. Me. Did I say that last time? Don't remember. I'm just flipping my mind now. I will find it and put it in. One word. Lights. Me. Me. What the...