Interview with Bright Light Bright Light

Elton John has described him as a “One-Man Machine”, he’s recently finished a tour with Erasure, and his colourful dance parties have made him a regular feature of the New York scene – and yet, he started life as a quiet boy from the valleys whose earliest gigs were busking in the London Underground. This week we caught up with the lovely Rod Thomas – that’s Bright Light Bright Light to you – to find out how he got to where he is now.
 

You are rare, in that you have decided to go it alone – fully independent, no label – how has that been? And how do you do it all – especially when it comes to organising something as complex as a tour?!

“Ha ha – yes I’m insane! You know, truthfully, it’s just because I like to get things done. I love making music, and I love being able to perform, so when I was putting out the first material, the right label didn’t come along at the right time, so I just did it myself and kept going. It’s not an “I don’t want a label” decision, it’s keeping momentum while the logistics of finding the right label at the right point in time don’t quite connect. It’s been a very steep learning curve, a huge challenge, but very rewarding. It’s so hard to juggle everything, but it also makes me feel very alive!”