LIGHTS RELEASES 'SIBERIA', CHATS WITH JUNNNKTANK.
BY SHYUN ATOWN & MATT DIXON, NOVEMBER 2011.

Toronto's LIGHTS is taking over. If you're not already in the know, you will be soon enough.

MATT: First and foremost, Lights, you're an artist who loves to reach a broad audience. Pop, electro, punk, you have ties to all these communities. Let's talk about your punk rock connections to start off. Underground Operations. Ten Second Epic. Protest The Hero. Less Than Jake. Warped Tour. Where did your interest come from?

LIGHTS: When I was a teen, the music I listened to was mostly pop-punk and post-hardcore. I was in pop punk band then later a metal band and went to Warped every summer. It’s all important to me even now, always will have a special place in my heart!

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MATT: Let's talk Toronto. Now you've noted Toronto as your musical hometown since it is the place you really started your music career. What are your impressions of the city's music and artistic community --I like that word more than industry, bear with me-- since you've been there? It seems like a cultural hub rivalled only by the likes of Montreal, but Toronto is making some noise for sure --Fucked Up, The Weekend, Drake, yourself, just to name a few… Your thoughts on the city?

LIGHTS: Toronto was a great place to enter into the music world. There are tons of venues, you could do a show every night in a new place. When we first started doing shows back in ’07, we would take transit to shows, and we’d do residencies at free indie-music nights that sometimes served free food to feed the artists and entice people to come. It’s definitely a city geared towards live music more than many other places. And great music does emerge from there, Holy Fuck for example, who put their mark on my record.

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ATOWN: While we are on the topic of the big T.O. I noticed since you hit it big that your fashion/style also seems to be hitting it big with the teen females these days, especially in your homeland of Toronto and some parts of Canada. I was curious if these clothing ideas you put together have had as big as impact as you thought they would on the teenage world? Did you know you would become a trend setter?

LIGHTS: Even growing up, I watched how trends set by artists were imitated and manifested by the public. It amused me greatly! I always knew if you had something small for people to latch on to, to identify you by, it would become a “thing”. When I started wearing a headband a lot I suddenly began seeing it at all the shows, it was crazy! It’s exciting to think about when letting your fashion tastes progress.

MATT: I'm not going to ask you much about your childhood.... It's a well known fact that you moved around a lot and spent time in the Caribbean and Asia and all points in between. I was wondering though the extensive touring you do --you're on the road right now taking on the U.S. & Canada-- if you ever feel like a nomad. Is moving around just in your blood and is it something you think you'll always do?

LIGHTS: Being raised a missionary kid definitely set me up for this kind of lifestyle. I learned at a young age that happiness is about who you’re with, not where you are or what you have. I learned to not cling to anything solid - it’s the non-tangible that really matters in life. The song “Siberia” touches on this idea.

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MATT: Now that you are taking the world by storm via tour, I was wondering how the tour been going so far? Most memorable moment or performance? Anything crazy happen? Any of those famous tour pranks?

LIGHTS: Tour has been amazing! It’s awesome finally getting to play a bunch of new songs, and having enough material to switch up the set each night. So far, Minneapolis was a great show. Everyone was packed in there and just so energetic. It’s awesome seeing the growth everywhere we go. No crazy pranks yet, we will see!

ATOWN: Your newest album has just come out, not to long ago and congrats on the success it has had. The album cover looks a little straight forward and 'straight to business'. I am sure you probably get this a lot, with your newest album but this is more of a personal question for myself; I was wondering why the new album is called Siberia?

LIGHTS: Siberia is a place that’s always been fascinating to me, so distant and unknown. So many mysteries about it! Regardless though, the process of creating this album felt a bit like that for me. What we were creating, the hard, grit contrasting the soft, melodic pop was so new feeling. We were exploring unknown turf, it was a bit scary but totally cool and adventurous. Aside from it also being a song on the album, it just felt like the right title.

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ATOWN: On the subject of your new songs, I noticed something while I was listening to your early songs that seemed to make them different then your newly released songs, of course the lyrics but more specifically, the change of sound. Maybe its just me but I feel your sound is more edgy, so what exactly influenced you to change your sound like that? Maturity? Boredom? Etc?

LIGHTS: It’s important to let your music catch up with where you are in your life. The things I’ve been listening to are a little grittier, darker, dubstep infused. Also, having toured for a couple years on the first record, you get a sense of what comes across best live and subconsciously apply that to the new stuff you create. Not to mention that through that experience I’ve become a better singer, performer, player, etc. All of these elements lead to the next release hopefully being that much better than the last.

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ATOWN: Last but not least, when will Charlottetown, PEI, get to witness lights in all her glory?

LIGHTS: Hopefully soon! I’m looking into getting out there at long last early next year! Maybe even as early as January. Hang tight!

KEEP A LIGHT ON
PLEASE VISIT IAMLIGHTS.COM FOR MORE

Often confused for a villain, Shyun Atown tries to keep his head above the water. When he does get breaths of air, his life consist of blogging at a mass amount daily, his weekly podcasts on itunes and also his determination to take over the radio air waves in the future. For now, while he dabs his pen into the ink, bands like 'The Funeral Party', 'Austra' & 'Imaginary Cities' play as loud as the ears can handle. He also likes to barricade himself in his mansion over looking the city reviewing albums, unpopular bands, 50's movies and his emotions.

E- ATOWN@JUNNNKTANK.COM

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Feeling down in the dumps in his second year of university Matt Dixon took things into his own hands and started to interview bands, put on little shows throughout his native Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and started this little webzine that could. He likes to listen to rad records and watch films at Charlottetown's only art-house theatre, the beloved City Cinema. Current Listening: Buried Inside, Q & Not U, Tallest Man On Earth, Lucero, The Transit.

E- MATT (AT) JUNNNKTANK.COM
H- JUNNNKTANK.COM/MD

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