Lighthouser's "Blue Light"
On effervescent new single ‘Blue Light’, Lighthouser writes synthpop bright enough to transform relatable anxieties into joy.
Photograph / Liz Lim
Lighthouser is the synthpop alias of James Gales, a jazz-trained classical pianist whose recent collaborations with Cleopold and Liminal interviewee Yeo position him as one of Melbourne's most promising emerging talents. James' other projects include scoring Jean Tong’s critically acclaimed indie musical Romeo Is Not The Only Fruit, experimental music under the alias Jim Nopédie, and cult Facebook page “Video Game Water Environments with Poignant Indie Lyrics”.
Fusing expressive harmonies and videogame-inspired synths with affecting lyrics, ‘Blue Light’ explores dark subject matter with sincerity and humour in a fashion that would appeal to fans of 2000s indie music—or anyone who’s ever played a Nintendo game.
‘When I wrote “Blue Light” I was having trouble sleeping and would often find myself up late on my phone,’ James says.
‘I wanted to transform that hopeless experience - using screens to distract from anxious thoughts - into something of humour and maybe even joy.’
‘Blue Light’ is the second single from Lighthouser’s debut EP coming early 2020, and is available everywhere online.
Curated by Non Chalant