Pretty Lights is the musical vision of Colorado producer, Derek Vincent Smith.
At a time when music lovers from almost all subcultures and genres are finding common ground in the basic form of bangin' beats, Pretty Lights is giving the people what they want: organic electro and cutting-edge, party-rocking beats that fill venues and send dancefloors into frenzies.
Next month, it's Australia's turn.
This will be your first headlining tour of Australia… what are you looking forward?
This will be my first headlining tour in Australia; it will also be my first tour in general that I'm going to be playing new music from my upcoming record. I think that is what I am most excited about, seeing the reaction and the experience that people have when I drop my new music.
The Pretty Lights live show as we move into 2016… do you have any additions to the stage performance for this run of shows? Will it be similar to your Red Rocks 2015 show?
IDK. I've tuned out of that part of PL because I trust the guys I work with. It will be a surprise for me too. I have a feeling that it won't be similar to RR 2015; we switch it up constantly.
How much time, effort goes into your live visuals? What are you looking to offer the viewer?
There has always been a lot of effort and time put into creating the visuals for the live performance, but now even more so since I started filming content for the live show myself. It started as an interest in filmmaking and camera technology, and while learning about these things I experimented with filming in all sorts of ways and eventually found that I had kind of unknowingly created a library of visual content that was perfect for moving in the direction of what I want the PL live show to become.
It has been my goal to change the Pretty Lights live show from something where the visuals act as an extension of the music, into an experience where the visuals play a much more fundamental role in creating the emotional experience, alongside the music. As far as what I want to offer the viewer, it can be simply put as something that I personally think is beautiful and worth experiencing. Of course, that is a goal that can never just be reached outright, but rather, can always be moved closer to.
New music… are you working on fresh material? When can we expect another artist album?
Whenever I begin working on a new body of music such as an artist album I make it a top priority to challenge myself and do something that I've never done before or do things in a way that I've never done before. I've been working on a new project since the beginning of 2014 and I've never been so excited about the originality and quality of the music I'm producing. A lot of new Pretty Lights' music will find its way off of my hard drives and into the world over the course of 2016.
Receiving a Grammy nomination for 'A Color Map Of The Sun' must've been a rewarding experience… was it somewhat unexpected?
It was completely unexpected.
What industry doors did the nomination open?
People, in general, that haven't heard my music assume it must be pretty good. That has led to all kinds of doors opening. A lot of doors that I don't want to go through and never wanted to go through, but also many opportunities that I have been blessed to have, such as the ability to collaborate with many new musicians and artist on my new projects.
The Australian trip will see you tour with Opiuo… can we expect you two to compile any further collaborations?
I hope so. He is a refreshingly original.
You've mentioned in previous interviews that Pink Floyd have been a major influence… if you could travel back to any moment of their career, where are you sending the Delorean, and why?
Live in Pompeii would be amazing... but I would also like to sit in on the arguments between all the band members just before they decided to publicly break up.
When was your last 'pinch-myself moment'? Where was it and who was involved?
Telluride, Colorado. My team and I threw a two-day camping festival in the mountains of Colorado where I performed with the seven-piece PL Analog Future Band. I found myself communicating with the musicians live on stage in a way that I didn't anticipate before the show at all. We were in such sync that it became possible to compose, direct, and orchestrate entirely new compositions live on stage that had the tightness and structural flow of my studio production. I definitely had to pinch myself on the first night at set break, it was a wild experience.
What's next for Pretty Lights… what else is left to conquer?
I'm extremely interested in filmmaking.
What's your favourite, non-music app at the moment?
Vidblend. It's a new app for compositing video.
How do you relax away from music and the industry?
By turning my phone off and ignoring all incoming communication. It's the only way.
2016 for Pretty Lights… if it's not a new album, what's the next artistic endeavour you want to complete?
Album. Albums? Music videos. Short films. A new distribution model, a new approach to using the efforts I put into music and the visual to raise awareness and funds for important causes. And likely the beginning of something I haven't imagined yet.
Pretty Lights Tour Dates 2016
Thu 14 Jan - Forum Theatre (Melbourne)Fri 15 Jan - Metro Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 16 Jan - Max Watts (Brisbane)
Sat 23 Jan - Rainbow Serpent Festival (Lexton, Victoria)
Mon 25 Jan - Villa (Perth)
