Pepsi MTV Indies, the natural habitat of the indie soul, celebrated its first birthday on the 1^st April 2015. Commemorating the event, it was a bonanza of surprises for music lovers. One of the many was Pretty Lights.

Pretty Lights aka Derek Vincent Smith, is known for his personal connect with his fan base and is popular for sharing his music with enthusiasts for free, encouraging them to live the experience. Pretty Lights is recognized for his Electro Hip-Hop Soul, a mix between elements of electronic based music, and beats from hip-hop and soul music. The Grammy nominee has created hit chartbusting numbers like finally moving, I know the truth and Hot like sauce amongst others. His music streams on platforms like Spotify, Radio, iTunes, and Rhapsody.

We met up with Pretty Lights to know more about his music and his immense talent for spinning some of the best tracks.  

What kind of a show can we expect from you in India? Have you heard any music (electronic or otherwise?) from India?

This is my first visit to India and I have been dreaming about it for a long time. I do not know a lot about the music of this country but I do know some things. Being a vinyl junkie and a crate digger I have been exposed to a lot of old Ravi Shankar records and have amassed quite a collection of his work which I love to listen to on original vinyl. The current beat producer scene in Bombay and all of India is what I am most interested in learning about. And by "learning about" I mean hearing as much of the music as I can. I have met several cool for producers and DJ's so far while I've been here and I am getting connected with the music even now and what I've heard so far has got me really excited.

Can you name any 5 tracks that you’d rate as your current or all-time favourites?

Pink Floyd- Breathe, Nirvana – Lithium, Bonobo – The Plug, DJ Shadow - Midnight in a perfect world, Bob Marley- Sun is shining.

Your last album, ‘A Colour Map of the Sun’, was released back in 2013. Are you working on any new stuff, for an album or an EP?

I am so excited to be working on several new projects, a new album, multiple singles and episodic/cinematic music videos. My next single will actually sound like, in large part, my experience in India... I'm working on this song while I'm here.  I always want to really challenge myself with new projects and push forward...artistically, aesthetically and, now especially, in the way that I think about how people experience art and music. There are so many exciting possibilities for ways in which an independent artist can break the mold of the traditional music industry. The way in which my new projects will be presented and released will be a huge part of what makes it original and cutting edge.

Your shows are known for their immaculate visual production. What all goes behind planning and executing the entire concept?

It’s actually quite different from the norm from the electronic music scenes specifically. It’s pretty standard for artists to have visual shows that are completely pre-programmed out to their music. From the beginning my crew and I have made it a priority to keep an improvisational element in both music and the visuals. It has evolved to a point where we can communicate vocally where the audio affects the visuals and vice versa so it’s very integrated. We spend months planning and designing to make something that has never been done before.

What do you prefer more? A Pretty Lights DJ set or a Pretty Lights live set? Any rituals you have before taking the stage for a performance?

If I go on a tour with a live band, I will be craving a DJ set and if I’m on a tour with the DJs, I’d be craving the live production set. I don’t usually do live DJ sets, it always has some sort of live performance element to it but I think a healthy dose of both is what I need so I go back and forth. I really cannot choose one. It has to be a bit of both. As for the rituals, I just like to get pumped up before a gig and go out there and give it my best.

How did the name Pretty Lights come about? Any story behind it?

Pretty lights is not only the alias of myself as an artist, the name represents an aesthetic based on an awareness and openness to the beauty in everything around us. It’s a funny story actually, way back I once saw a poster of the Pink Floyd performing in the city and below it was written- Pretty Lights to open for them. I then thought to myself, wow I would want to open for them and just decided then I could take up that name.

What can your fans in India expect from your upcoming tour? Any special message for the fans?

I have had the chance to produce so much music in the last six years that I’ve been able to pick out the best from all my tours and experiences to put them into one playlist. Indian fans can expect only the best of music that I’ve ever played. Cause it’s really important for me to throw a great party for my Indian audiences at SPIRO and Vh1 Supersonic Arcade.  

Did you make up your mind as a child that you were going to become an electronic music artiste?

No I did not make up my mind as a child or even a teenager that I wanted to become an electronic music producer and performer. I realized that I wanted to do something with my life that involves music when I was a teenager as I was learning about and traveling through different channels of music and genre and styles. When I felt like I had been exposed to enough music and enough inspiration that I could visualize sound and hear a style that was unique and that's when I decided that my future as a musician within the music industry would exist within the framework of being an electronic music producer. Whether or not that will always be the case is not known, I try to keep my mind open and my eyes open to any and every opportunity that the universe presents to me. I want to be a filmmaker and a symphonic conductor and an author… But right now, it's all about making the most soulful, classy, swaggy, and banging beats that I possibly can.

Where have you enjoyed performing the most and why?

It’s always either some of the biggest show or the smallest that’s most fun to play at. But a house party is something I have not done in ages and that’s always my most favorite experiences. But to answer your question, it would be Red Rock - a venue in my home state. Between two massive cliffs and I have videos on this up online that you can check out.

What all places do you plan to visit in India?

We would like to visit whole lot of places, from India Gate (Delhi) to Taj Mahal (Agra) enjoying Indian delicacies.

Do you have any pre-conceived notions about India?

Michal has been to India a couple of times and he always talked about the beautiful and exotic place around in India. I have read a lot about the country and its heritage.

Interviewed by Verus Ferreira