Taste Test: Lights

FIRST ALBUM I BOUGHT WITH MY OWN MONEY WAS

Oh, I think I bought tapes. I don't even remember. That's a good question. All the first ones I bought were really cheesy, like, I was a little kid and I bought Celine Dion tapes and things like that, you know? [Laughs] I think I was just exploring and trying new things. I mean, I'd buy all kinds of music that I never ended up really even listening to, but I'd just like to try and that was kinda before the browsing days of the internet and buying music that way.

ALBUM I'M LOVING RIGHT NOW

Com Truise: It's like Tom Cruise, but switched. It's really cool electronic. Actually, the keyboard player in my band, we all kind of play keyboards, but his name's Adam and he's always right up on what's the newest and greatest electronic stuff happening. It's just the cutting edge of production and that stuff interests me, and all of us in the band. So you always kind of pick up new tricks and ideas coming from that and a lot of Com Truise has no vocals in it so it's just very musical, very production-forward.

MY FAVOURITE PARTY ALBUM

Um, this is really embarrassing, but on the bus we always play a couple LMFAO songs because they're so super-lame and really just get everybody moving. It's party music. But I think a Ratatat album or stuff along those lines like Gorillaz most recent one [Plastic Beach] because it's really positive but high energy too. It's got really positive chords. You don't wanna play something with sad chords at a party: everyone just getting all emo over in the corner.   

MY FAVOURITE COMEDOWN ALBUM

It would have to be Bon Iver; both of his records are awesome. What would be another one? I actually really love chilling out to Radiohead, some of that's really great – creative but slow… When I'm depressed, I don't like listening to music, I just make music – it gets it off your chest, 'cause that's kinda like an optimal moment to be creative and I just get frustrated listening to music at some points, you know? We listen to so much music: we tour all the time, we'll play music every night. So, some days, silence is the most beautiful thing.

THE MOST SURPRISING RECORD IN MY COLLECTION

I think a lot of people are surprised when I say I listen to black metal and stuff, which I'm actually a big fan of. I grew up being in a metal band and then I suddenly became electronic pop.

FIRST GIG I EVER ATTENDED

It was probably a community centre punk rock show in my small town. I went to all those. It would've been local bands. In fact I used to go to shows all the time, and at those shows there were about four or five bands on the bill, and I remember after years of going to those shows I met – I was very young, but I met a band called Ten Second Epic at the community centre show, and then years later we ended up collaborating and becoming really good friends. It's just funny how your life can come back around.  

WEIRDEST GIG EXPERIENCE I'VE EVER HAD

We've done those shows where it's a dinner show and people are eating – that's the worst. Like, awards shows and things like that and they're just not fun AT all [laughs]. So you have to go into it with a different mindset. They could be into it, you know, but they can't show it. We played from those awkward, sitting down, super corporate, in chairs, uncomfortable shows to those where people break onto the stage and the stage gets raided and then they steal all your stuff. We had a show in Houston a couple of years ago, and they kinda raided the stage afterwards and we came back and a bunch of our gear was gone. So it's a weird thing: they wanted a piece of it, but we kinda needed the stuff the next day – like our pedals and my capo. Recently, on the last tour, I had a flannel on and took it off onstage and then someone took it! And then felt bad and came around afterwards and gave it back to me.    

THE BIGGEST NON-MUSICAL INFLUENCES ON ME

I would definitely have to say fantasy art and that sort of creative element. For example I was taking a book of fantasy art with me every day in the studio when we were recording Siberia… I was kind of creating a soundtrack to these other worlds – I mean, dark, warrior-like dimensions. And even though the women are very sexy, they have weapons and they are really empowered and I think it's a metaphor for something greater. But it was really inspiring just listening back to the music and looking at the pictures. So that was a big influence. I do like video games and role-playing games like that where it is a huge escape. And that's what music ultimately is: it's a few minutes where your listener can get away, and that's what I get out of video games.

THE COOLEST PERSON I EVER MET

My husband [laughs]. We met on the road; he's a touring musician as well. He's been out here a few times actually, with Soundwave. His name's Beau [Bokan], he's in a band called Blessthefall. We got married on 12 May, really recently, and I just got back from my honeymoon in Honduras. 'I'm touring. See ya! Goodbye, I'm going to the other side of the world now.'  

THE BIGGEST CELEBRITY CRUSH I'VE EVER HAD

It was a funny story, because, speaking of video games, I've always had a crush on The Alliance King in World Of Warcraft. I just thought he was a huge babe. It's a fictional character, yeah [laughs]. King Varian. I would always take screen caps and I would find him in the game and take pictures with him and I'd have his art as my background. I met Beau and he looks kinda like him and so it was like, 'Oh, he's my real life…' I thought it was a sign of things to come and ended up getting – I have a new tattoo, which is a portrait of King Varian with Beau's face. So he was my crush.

IF I COULD HANG OUT IN ANY TIME AND PLACE IN HISTORY

It would probably be the 1800s. I don't know why but it's funny, like, I think I'm fascinated with steam-punk culture: the style was really cool and elaborate and they were just starting to invent everything, and I think it's cool.

IF I WASN'T MAKING MUSIC

I would probably be in video game development. I take computer science classes on the side just to understand the world a bit more and appreciate it. I still would want to create that experience for people. Right now I try to do it through my music. I love drawing. My art's very cartoon-y, it's comic-style. I've been a fan of comics for a long time actually so I'm very influenced by the thick lines. And I'm learning how to be a tattoo artist soon, which is a whole other side of art as well. On the first two albums I did the art, so there's a whole lot more to it than just the music.