Lauren Ann Butler
Bright Light Bright Light (Rod Thomas) is an influential artist. Not only is he a performer but also a songwriter, DJ, and producer. His work speaks for itself from collaborations with Elton John to well known dance tunes. Bright Light Bright Light is a musical staple that any music fan is lucky to know. Rod Thomas sat down with us before hitting the stage in support of Take That to discuss his collaborations, new album, inspirations, and future plans.
Are you really excited?
BLBL: Yeah, we did it last year as well actually so it’s kind of almost more amazing to be back for a second year in a row. It’s super cool and it’s like two different lineups. Two childhood heroes, Kylie and Take That so it’s kind of like working your way through the 80’s- 90’s pop agenda, it’s amazing.
So you’ve worked with Elton John. How did that come about? And what was that like?
BLBL: We’ve known each other for a long time. So I used to work with his management company, a long time before I became Bright Light Bright Light and he kind of kept tabs on what I was doing and he read the review of my first record and he bought it and really liked it, so we met up and just got on really well. He’s like a big music fan and likes to help out people who are starting that he thinks can do with a helping hand. We became really good friends and then he sang on my second record and then he took me on tour for a year and so we just have this really nice friendship now where we work together and keep in touch and email and hang out. It’s bonkers.
So you’ve toured with Elton, you’ve toured with Ellie Goulding. Anybody else that you either love to tour with or work with in an capacity?
BLBL: Obviously, well not obviously for my world Kate Bush but I very much doubt she’ll tour again and I don’t know how much she wants to collaborate anymore. Bjork, Royksopp, I’d love to do something with. Disclosure, I think are fantastic. There’s a lot of people and it’s usually people, like out of my direct musical realm, that I think would be really cool to work with. Because there’s something so nice about pairings that are outside of each others worlds, like you know, people create like really brilliant things. Royksopp and Robyn sort of in the same world but their approaches are very different and that produced something really special. Lots of Scandinavian people.
So tell us about Choreography.
BLBL: So Choreography is based on my love of dance sequences in films. I started writing it when it was freezing cold in New York. We had like a polar vortex. So I just wanted to feel warm and happy again. So I thought, write the most summery, upbeat record that I possibly could and I thought about what made me happiest which is dance sequences in films. And I used that as the energy that I wanted in the record. So like the songs are based on Kim Cattrall’s dance sequence in Mannequin, Romy and Michelle, Strictly Ballroom, Little Shop of Horror’s the downtown sequence is what inspired all of the name. And Alien:Resurrection, as well, when Sigourney Weaver is writhing around on the pit of aliens. So it’s very film referenced, it’s very like upbeat, summery, pop.
Any plans besides Choreography, further along?
BLBL: We have lots of shows coming up. I’m doing a special show with full choreography in my hometown. Then we’ll be doing a UK and a US tour and then we have remixes and other videos I’ve down. I’ve worked with an award winning choreographer Steven Hoggett who’s done the Harry Potter play that is just about to open so we’ve done like a series of videos that will be coming out and then we’ll be taking the album on the road for as long as I can.
If you want to learn more about tour dates and music from Bright Light Bright Light you can visit his website at http://www.brightlightx2.com
Did you see Bright Light Bright Light at British Summer Time? Tweet us at @Celebmix!
