KC Lights talks to us about his earliest musical influences, working with Toolroom Records, tips for upcoming artists and more.
T.H.E – Hello KC Lights and welcome to T.H.E – Music Essentials, can you tell us a bit about who are you and where are you from?
KC Lights – Hey! I’m a musician, DJ & producer from Scotland. I grew up on a small island, the Isle of Bute, on the west coast and am now based in the wonderful & vibrant city of Glasgow.
T.H.E – How old were you when you first got into music? Any musical roots you’d like to talk about?
KC Lights – Music has been a huge part of my life from a very young age. I picked up the saxophone from the age of 6 and performed in various different concert bands & jazz groups throughout school. I discovered my love for writing music early on too. I was obsessed with experimenting on the piano and started putting together early musical pieces in high school. I went on to study music at University and it was there I delved into the world of electronic music and production and haven’t looked back since.
T.H.E – What artists/musicians/DJs are your biggest influence? Did you have any idols you looked up to whilst growing up?
KC Lights – Growing up I was really into Jimi Hendrix, the way he played the guitar like it was connected to his body and mind I found totally mesmerising. Later on I discovered the likes of Boys Noise, The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk and these guys really got me into producing electronic music.
T.H.E – What is the one record you cannot live without?
KC Lights – Maybe not something you’d expect but for me it has to be ‘The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Take 5′. As a sax player I was obviously introduced to this record as a kid and I’ve honestly never grown sick of it. It’s such a timeless piece of music.
T.H.E – How have you found being a DJ and producer during Lockdown?
KC Lights – Being a DJ has not been so great! Being a producer has been though. I’ve never had this much time in the studio to work on music and collaborate with other artists, so I’ve really capitalised on the opportunity and am now sitting on a lot of new music! As fun as it’s been to have more time at home, I’m now very eager to get out there and tour with all of this new music.
T.H.E – What are your 3 top tips for keeping motivated and creative during these unprecedented times?
KC Lights – Stick to some form of a routine. It can be really easy to fall into lazy habits without any sort of structure to the day, so I think it’s really important to keep up a routine and plan out the days/weeks.
Exercise and get some fresh air. Both of these things I’ve found to have a really positive impact on my mental health. Even just getting out for a bit of a walk once a day can really help clear the mind and lift your mood.
Have a varied day. This has been a big one for me. Especially when exclusively working from home, doing the same thing and staring at the same four walls can start to really get to you. Mix things up through the day, find some new music to listen to and get into something that takes your mind away from work or whatever you have going on.
T.H.E – Do you have any tips/advice for upcoming DJs?
KC Lights – Be patient and have fun. It’s great to set yourself goals, but don’t feel like you have to sprint to get there. Progression will always take time, so just make sure to focus on yourself and have fun in the process, it’s easy to get caught up looking at what everyone else has going on. Ignore that and just enjoy your journey!
T.H.E – What is it like being part of the #TOOLROOMFAMILY?
KC Lights – Working with Toolroom has been great! They are such a committed, passionate team and really care about the artist and the music. Everything you’d want when working with a label.
T.H.E – Thank you for joining us, are there any upcoming DJs & Producers we should keep our eyes on?
KC Lights – Thanks for having me! There’s a lot of great talent coming out of Scotland at the moment actually. Keep a look out for James ID & Ronnie Pacitti, they both have some big releases coming later in the year on some great labels, also t.e.s.t.p.r.e.s.s are really killing it just now!
