Derek Vincent Smith isn't your average Colorado born-and-bred boy. This wunderkind stands out, and not just because he's six-foot-nine. Better known to fans as Pretty Lights, Smith has released three records to date, the latest of which dropped last Tuesday. Thirteen tracks in length, Passing By Behind Your Eyes fuses deep beats and undercurrents of core-reaching soul and blues tunes. From radio-played Rihanna to The Notorious B.I.G., Pretty Lights doesn't hesitate to merge radically different ditties to bring out the best he has to offer ears eager to hear something more interesting than the average dance number. In the past, he's paired the rich velvety vocals of Etta James with synth and futuristic textures, a combination that touches the heart while encouraging shameless dance floor behavior. Expect nothing less from the newest release available for free download on his site.
Currently on tour, Pretty Lights' performance is not to be missed. It comes complete with lasers, stimulating visuals and, to top it all off, a live drummer, who absolutely matches Smith in energy and stamina (they play straight for over two hours).
NELL ALK: You do what a lot of acts are still unwilling to do: give your music away for free. What prompted this altruism?
DEREK SMITH: I started giving my first album away for free because I was tired of trying to convince people to pay for music they had never heard of. I wanted the music to reach as many stereos as possible. I figured the only way to make that happen was through giving it away. I've been adamant about sticking to this model of releasing Pretty Lights music, but, as the name and the audience grows, it presents a few issues. This newest album, Passing By Behind Your Eyes, I've decided to give away for free. But, because there is so much traffic, I have to switch to a server that can handle all the bandwidth, which ends up costing me to give my music away. Right now, it's fine. I am happy to absorb the expense in order to get the music to the people that want it. But, as that cost grows, I will need to find ways to offset it. I give people the chance to donate, and I am hoping those donations will be enough to pay for all the albums that everyone else downloaded.
ALK: How do you come up with these album titles? They all have a similar ring.
SMITH: That was my intention. The album titles all have the same meter and amount of syllables. And they rhyme, almost like they're lyrics to a song or a verse. Hint, hint. They all also have something to do with the concept behind the name, Pretty Lights, which, as my discography grows, will become more apparent and make more sense.
ALK: What instruments do you play?
SMITH: Electric bass, synthesizer, flute, piano and guitar (a bit). Countertop, a.m. radio dial, crystal wine glass. I can play anything I can get my hands on well enough to sample it and chop it up on an MPC. Violin to zither, mandolin to oboe.
ALK: Let's talk about Biggie. He appears in at least three tracks, if not more, on your new album.
SMITH: Not sure why, but when I'm looking for a snippet of a rap a cappella that I really connect with, I always find it in a Biggie verse. The man was so raw and upfront and didn't give a fuck if what he said was uncomfortable or offended anyone. He said what he felt, and I connect with a lot of his lyrics.
ALK: Two of my all-time favorites are the Etta James "remixes." What prompted these samples?
SMITH: "Finally Moving" was the most popular track on Taking Up Your Precious Time, the first record. I really just wanted to remix my own track, so it was something that could be really hype live, as well as very chill and pretty. I love to perform the two versions of that song together live. It's a pretty powerful drop, going from the original to the remix.
ALK: Your performances feature a live drummer, Cory Eberhard. Ever consider adding more musicians?
SMITH: I have thought of evolving the Pretty Lights performances to include a lot more live musicians. It's something that I would like to do in the future with a specific album cycle, as in, an album and a tour. I guess we'll see what happens.
ALK: Is a lot of what you throw together onstage off the cuff, or is that a romantic notion?
SMITH: The set is free-styled every time I play.
ALK: No turntable?
SMITH: I'm not a DJ. At all. I have never beat-matched a record in my life or used Serato. I'm a producer and every track I play is original. I know that's not the case with a lot of "producers," but I'm very serious about only performing my own productions and compositions, or original remixes.
ALK: You played for nearly three hours when last in NYC. Is that typical?
SMITH: I need to give the people a show that's worth their hard earned money. So, yes, when I headline I try to always play at least 135 minutes.
ALK: How long does it take to put together a production-heavy live set like yours?
SMITH: Right now the whole production takes several hours to set up. The crew usually arrives around noon to begin building the light/video rig and work up until after sound check at 6 or 7 at night.
ALK: What's next post-tour in 2010?
SMITH: The hottest Pretty Lights album yet. By far!
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