Lights' Enduring Evolution on Display with Latest Album, A6
A Decade of Shining Through
Lights' A6: A New Album That Captures the Sound of Self-Discovery
In an evolving music landscape, Lights has consistently defied easy categorization, and her latest album is no exception. With a career spanning over a decade, the Canadian artist—born Valerie Poxleitner-Bokan—has built a reputation for crafting a blend of synth-pop and alternative rock. Her latest work, the highly anticipated sixth studio album A6, is a testament to her continued growth as a songwriter and producer, with Lights helming every aspect of its creation. Released earlier this year, the album is a deeply intimate and sonically varied collection, showcasing her ability to weave together soaring electronic melodies with the emotional weight of introspective lyrics. Tracks like "Alive Again" and "Surface Tension" highlight her skill with atmospheric production, while "Clingy" and "White Paper Palm Trees" reveal a vulnerability that feels both genuine and powerful.
Beyond the music itself, Lights has created a holistic artistic experience with A6. The album's release was accompanied by nine music videos, forming a visual album that provides a deeper narrative and aesthetic context for the songs. This ambitious project not only showcases her visual artistry but also reinforces the album's central themes of self-discovery and emotional complexity. Following the release, Lights went on a North American tour, bringing the sound of A6 to audiences across Canada and the United States. In a genre often defined by its digital and detached nature, Lights continues to push the boundaries, offering a body of work that is not only sonically rich but also deeply human.
She’s a veteran in the music industry who has continuously evolved while maintaining a dedicated fanbase. Her sixth studio album, A6, is a powerful testament to her enduring influence and relevance. Instead of settling into a predictable formula, she continues to explore new sonic territories, blending her signature synth-pop with fresh electronic and alternative influences. This ability to reinvent herself with each new project, from her early days with The Listening to the multi-sensory experience of Skin & Earth, is what truly sets her apart. We were happy to get some time for this installment of our Q&A series, "On The Line."
Good Call: Hello, thanks for your time. What is your hometown / where are you currently based?
Lights: I’ve actually moved so many times in my life that I have the pleasure of keeping several hometowns, like North Bay, Timmins, Manila, Toronto, etc. But right now, I live outside of Vancouver in a town called Mission.
GC: Who was the first person that got you into music?
Lights: My dad was the first person who introduced me to music. He always had music on in the house, in the car, everywhere. He used to play his guitar and sing at night when I would try to fall asleep and it made me feel safe, like everything was going to be okay. He introduced to me the power of music from a very young age.
GC: Do you remember the first song or album that had a big impact on you?
Lights: Back in my christianity days I really fell for this album by DC talk called supernatural. There was a song on there called “consume me” that really hit me after I had watched Titanic for the first time. I remember playing it on repeat on my walkman as I was trying to fall asleep for three nights straight. I couldn’t describe the deep melancholy and intense feeling, but later realized it was called depression!
“I realized all it takes is putting your ideas and dreams out there to the world to accept that it is possible.”
GC: Lights is the best name! When we first heard your music back in the day, we were like "how was that name available"? Has it presented any issues for you with search etc. through the years?
Lights: For the most part my imprint on the internet started early enough that it was never too hard to get those handles. But initially, I would always start on different platforms with lightsnoise or iamlights until I could nail down the actual handle. In many cases the @lights handle was just being squatted on and not even used. I do like to tell people I had to kill someone for them though.
GC: Ha! What's been the biggest non-music inspiration for you lately?
Lights: Probably just getting out into the world and experiencing life. Going to a river with friends, watching cool sci-fi shows, Magic the Gathering nights, taking my kid to the park, getting drinks on a patio somewhere, grounding on the grass outside my house, tattooing, getting tattooed, riding my motorcycle, just living. It shows me that nothing is that serious and I am very lucky to be alive and have agency and can act on my passions.
GC: Well said! Congrats on A6! How has life been post release? Did any songs get a reaction that surprised you?
Lights: I’m loving life post A6 and all I want is to keep that feeling and that momentum alive. The music is so fun to play live and the crowd sings every word, it’s been such a fun journey and it’s barely been three months. “Ghost Girl on First” gets a great vibe going live, that was pretty unexpected. “Piranha” is the sleeper banger too! Very sexy and heart felt all at the same time.
GC: Can you tell us how Skin & Earth came to be? Was it something you were trying to get published or did someone approach you? Will there be new issues?
Lights: I always dreamed of making a concept album tied to a graphic novel and just needed to decide to do it. I came up with some ideas and then without overthinking it too much sent the idea off to my team and they all said it was dope. I realized all it takes is putting your ideas and dreams out there to the world to accept that it is possible.
GC: What is the biggest challenge you've had to face post Covid?
Lights: Probably the loss of one of my good friends and creative partners. It really showed me the fragility of life. But also with that came an unbridled desire to live my life to its absolute fullest, launch the projects I’d been sitting on, and challenge my mindset to be so much more open to connection and opportunity and spontaneity.
GC: Is there anyone you'd like to collaborate with: other artists to appear on a song or even a visual artist for an album cover or merch?
“…It really showed me the fragility of life, but also with that came an unbridled desire to live my life to its absolute fullest, launch the projects I’d been sitting on, and challenge my mindset to be so much more open to connection and opportunity and spontaneity.”
Lights: We did a festival date the other day in St. John’s, Newfoundland with Gwen Stefani and it really hit me how influential she truly has been to me. The way she carries herself on stage, her performance style, the dichotomy and full range of her aesthetic and music, the scene she came up in versus the world she carved out for - her artistry and her confidence. A collab with her would be a dream.
GC: Are there any new artists that have really moved you? If so, who?
Lights: I really like this artist from Germany named Edwin Rosen. He’s got a really feely darkwave thing going and I am really loving it.
GC: Have you had a "it happened for a reason" moment recently? Something that was challenging at the time, but led to an unexpected positive outcome?
Lights: I have sort of lost touch with a section of people from my past over the years, and with the passing of a relative I recently reconnected with them for the funeral. It was a sad thing to experience but it made me realize that we all truly have grown apart and I was able to close a chapter on a part of my life after that. All things, people, relationships, eras, come to an end at some point.
GC: What platforms have been the most helpful with getting your music heard? Bandcamp, YouTube, IG etc.
Lights: I would say Instagram and Spotify remain the best music discovery tools for me, where the algorithm has helped put my stuff in front of people that may not know that I’m still active, or that I exist at all. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
GC: How would you define success?
Lights: Easily. It’s doing what you love and making a living off of it. It’s not how much money you have, or what stuff you have, or what numbers you do or how you compare to others. If you’re doing something you love and are able to live and experience the now, congratulations, you’re successful.
GC: Can you share one of your lyrics from your songs that sums up your state of mind RN / feels representative of you?
Lights: “This might be the night that I die and I don’t want to die alone, so come a little closer, I don’t even need to know your name.” This sums up how I feel about everything. Life is short, do the thing you always wanted. Write that song. Start the novel. Make that apology you’ve been sitting on. Reconnect or disconnect, make that call, hook up, make out, dive in. Life is now.
Follow Lights on IG at https://www.instagram.com/lights/?hl=en
