Lights Poxleitner-Bokan (born Valerie Anne Poxleitner; April 11, 1987), known mononymously as Lights (previously stylized in all caps), is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter.
Lights was born as Valerie Anne Poxleitner in Timmins, Ontario, to missionary parents Virginia and Eric Poxleitner on April 11, 1987.
She has one older sister, Jess.
She spent her childhood in many parts of the world, including the Philippines, Jamaica, and Hanover, Ontario.
She was home-schooled by her mother, and was taught guitar by her father.
2001
Lights produced her first song "Saturn's Rings" with an eight-track recorder she purchased with inheritance money from her grandmother in 2001.
In high school, Lights played the guitar and sang in the metal band Shovel Face and accumulated a following through her Myspace page.
She moved to Toronto at the age of 18 and changed her name to Lights, a nickname derived from her surname.
Although there was already a signed band named "Lights", officially changing her name allowed her to use it despite the prior claim.
Lights began her music career writing for Sony/ATV Music Publishing and composed music for the CTV television series Instant Star.
She and Luke McMaster are credited with composing "Perfect", sung by Alexz Johnson in the role of Jude Harrison.
2007
In 2007, she contracted with Jian Ghomeshi, who acted as her manager until late 2014.
2008
In early 2008, Lights toured cities in the Great Lakes region, in Canada and the United States.
Around the same time, her song "Drive My Soul" rose to No. 18 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart.
In late 2008, she toured the United States.
In August 2008, Lights signed a record deal with Toronto-based label Underground Operations and an American partnership deal with Warner Bros. and Doghouse Records.
Her self-titled EP was released on iTunes in July and on vinyl in September.
Her second single, "February Air", which had been used in a commercial for Old Navy in early 2008, was released in December and sold about 12,000 copies.
She is also featured on the soundtrack (songs "Ben" and "Climbing") for the 2008 Canadian film One Week, starring Joshua Jackson.
2009
Her debut album, The Listening (2009), included the singles "Drive My Soul" and "Saviour".
She released a third single, "Ice", accompanied by a homemade video in March 2009.
The commercial success of the EP and its singles enabled Lights to release the full-length album The Listening in September 2009.
She promoted the album with the August 10 release of a music video for "Saviour", the first single from the album.
The single was released on September 22 in Canada.
Its US release was held until October 6 while she left Underground Operations for her own record label, Lights Music Inc. Lights re-recorded "Ice" for the new album and released a new video on November 10.
According to Lights, the artwork for the album cover was inspired by Watchmen, 28 Days Later, and Sailor Moon.
Lights won the 2009 Juno Award for New Artist of the Year.
The Listening sold more than 80,000 copies and was certified gold in Canada.
In September 2009, Lights toured with the British band Keane on their Canadian/Pacific Northwest tour.
She also contributed vocals to Ten Second Epic's song "Every Day".
She was a guest vocalist on the album A Shipwreck in the Sand, released in 2009 by post-hardcore band Silverstein from Burlington, Ontario.
2010
Its music video was nominated for Best Independent Music Video at the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards.
From January to May 2010, she toured with contemporary synthpop artist Owl City in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Lights released an acoustic EP titled Acoustic in July 2010, with a special performance at the University of Waterloo, where she had received most of her inspiration for the album.
Later that month, she began a six-date US tour.
In September, she joined Hedley for the eight-show Ontario leg of their Canadian tour.
Lights appeared as a guest vocalist on the songs "Crucify Me" and "Don't Go" of Bring Me the Horizon's 2010 album There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. and on The Secret Handshake's song "Used to be Sweet".
2011
Her second album, Siberia, which featured the single "Toes", was released in 2011.
2015
Her work has earned multiple Canadian Independent Music Awards, and Juno Awards including Pop Album of the Year for her third album Little Machines, which included the single "Up We Go", and fourth album Skin & Earth, in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
Lights' fifth studio album, PEP, was released in 2022.
