Bright Light Bright Light has opened up about entering the 10th year of his career as an independent artist.
The singer-songwriter, real name Rod Thomas, released his debut album ‘Make Me Believe in Hope’ in 2012, with a four-disc expanded reissue due later this year.
After self-releasing his first LP, he continued his career without the backing of a major label, telling the June 2022 issue of Retro Pop it was a decision born out of necessity.
“Like, full transparency, I’ve done all of these things without a label in tow and not once has a label ever approached me,” says the star.
“I don’t know why that is – and I’m not saying it like a sob story, but just for anybody who reads this who is an independent musician, there’s no real logic to everything.
“I’ve done all of these things; I’ve toured and worked with Cher, Elton John, Erasure, Scissor Sisters, Ellie Goulding, John Grant… all of these wild people! And not a single label has once thought to ask me if I wanted to work with them.”
Although Rod has been hugely successful in his career, he admits being rejected by the major players in the music industry led to a number of misconceptions surrounding him. “I do get labelled by people as vehemently independent and headstrong and foolish or whatever,” he reflects, “and it’s like, I’m really not.
“I just didn’t want to sit there gathering moss until somebody decided that I was worth potentially having a conversation with.
“I just wanted to make music and get it listened to by the world, so I just got up and did it myself.”
He adds: “There’s a big difference between being like, ‘I’m gonna do it myself,’ and then being like, ‘Well, no one wants to help me, so I’m going to make it happen.’ You know, that’s two very different approaches. And I often get tarred as being sort of cocky and like, ‘I can do everything myself’ – I’m very aware, I cannot do everything myself.
“But I definitely am not going to sit here and waste my life, thinking, ‘Oh, someone else will come and help me soon.’ And then they never do.
“I’m 100 per cent not willing to waste my life, waiting for things to happen.”
Read the full interview in the June 2022 edition of Retro Pop, out now. Order yours or subscribe via our Online Store or use our Store Finder to locate your nearest stockist.
