New York City’s queer prince of indie electro pop, Bright Light Bright Light, aka Rod Thomas, is about to embark on the 17-date Cosmic Light North American tour with Queen of the Universe winner and Drag Race Brazil host, Grag Queen. Last month, he released his latest mini album, Duets, which sees the Welsh-born singer-songwriter-producer, revisit and reimagine his own tracks as duets. The guest stars are an eclectic array of musical friends whom he has previously shared the stage or studio with including Kim David Smith, Tom Aspaul, Xavier Smith, Minute Taker, Megan Vice, Ariana And The Rose, and the legendary Ana Matronic.
Currently on tour in the UK, Bright Light Bright Light has played many of the world’s premiere live venues, opening shows for the likes of his friend Sir Elton John (over fifty times), Erasure, Scissor Sisters, Ellie Goulding, and Cher. He’s remixed tracks by Sylvester, Bananarama, Erasure, Dannii Minogue, and Caveboy and Lent, with music Bible NME calling him “The boy Robyn in all but name”. When not on tour, he can be found spinning the decks at Alan Cumming’s East Village nightlife haven, Club Cumming, with his weekly Time Out New York-endorsed Romy & Michele’s Saturday Afternoon Tea Dance.
Ahead of the Cosmic Light North American tour, Bright Light Bright Light speaks with The Queer Review’s editor James Kleinmann about revisiting and reinventing his back catalogue for Duets, what he enjoys about collaborating with other artists, his journey as an independent musician, and how his queer identity is inextricably linked to everything he does. In an exclusive photo series for The Queer Review by Steven Menendez, Bright Light Bright Light wears Zero Waste Daniel, a queer-owned and run sustainable fashion brand that uses pre-consumer waste sourced from New York City’s garment industry, as well as other hard-to-recycle materials, to create genderless clothing and accessories that result in zero waste. He sports bespoke glasses designed by EyedentityByColt.
James Kleinmann, The Queer Review: What was it like to revisit these tracks and reimagine them as duets?
Bright Light Bright Light: “It was so much fun. When you write songs, it’s such a specific moment in time you have with them, so revisiting them when you’re in a different headspace or place in your life is amazing because you get to know them in such a different way. I absolutely love collaborating and these guests are some of my favourite people, so it was a joy.”
How did turning them into duets transform the songs?
“Adding in someone else’s voice really changes the energy and at times the sentiment of the song. For example, “Next To You”—which was based on a monologue from Mark Gatiss’ Queers series—was about the loneliness of two people. So adding a second voice makes it feel more poignant, even theatrical. I love that so much.”
Did anything surprise you about the process?
“That so many people said, ‘Yes’! I wasn’t sure who would be free or interested in revisiting old songs with me versus creating new tracks, but fortunately I have such a wonderful network of artists that I know and have toured with, it made a nice time capsule of people I’ve shared the stage or studio with to date.”
How did you go about deciding which tracks you were going to return to for Duets?
“I had one or two in mind that I really wanted include, like “Cold Sweat, Hot Boys” which was actually written about Ana Matronic, so obviously she was the pick for that song! I have played “Cry At Films” live with Xavier Smith before so that guided that choice, and I suggested “Next To You” to Kim David Smith because I thought it’d be a great fit for his voice and vibe. Then I let Minute Taker, Tom Aspaul and Ariana pick their songs themselves and I loved their choices.”
More broadly, what do you enjoy recording and performing duets?
“I love collaboration. I love what one artist or voice brings out in another artist or voice. The synergy of voices is so cool to me. How they intertwine or diverge adds such a specific depth to a mix on a song. You may notice I’ve done rather a lot of duets in my past! It’s my favourite thing to do musically. It’s also a bit camp in a way! It makes me feel like I live in the world of “I Know Him So Well” or “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” and that’s just fabulous.”
What’s your favourite ever duet by another artist?
“”Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship. Everything about it is perfect. The song itself, the fucking vocals…my God! Absolutely showstopping perfection. Plus, it’s featured in one of my all-time favourite films, Mannequin. Not forgetting the incredible music video. No notes!”
How would you describe navigating the music business as a queer independent artist?
“I would describe it as ever-changing. It’s definitely much more empowering and accepted to exist as a queer independent artist now than it was when I first started out. I think label people looked at me like a bit of a runt when I was doing music by myself versus their new signings, many of whom were friends. But it’s interesting now that there’s a lot of kudos given to independent artists, which there really was not back in 2012. I definitely had freedom, that’s for sure, but I would have loved to have had the expertise and skillset of some of the brilliant people I’ve known at labels in terms of creative, marketing, support and, of course, budget!”
How does your queer identity inform your approach as an artist?
“The two are inseparable. I think my whole perspective comes from being slightly other, whether that’s being a gay man or being an independent artist putting pieces together myself. But I am so proud to be an artist in the canon of LGBTQ music history and I learn so much from biographies of other queer artists in the past who paved ways and broke down walls in the face of scrutiny or criticism. My work always has a focus on community, whether that’s collaborating or thinking about what I can do for communities with the funds I raise and how to connect people with music. I think my identity is very interwoven with what I create.”
You’re about to go on a major tour, what can fans look forward to with these live dates?
“It’s very focused on joy. Yes, there are moments of heartache and pain, but overall I want the show to be a reminder of what is beautiful and fun and what makes life worth fighting for. Expect drama, laughter, music, and some fun stories behind songs.”
For your North American dates you’ll be appearing on a double bill with Grag Queen, how did that come about?
“Grag Queen is amazing. We share a booking agent which is so wonderful so it was an easy introduction. I’m really looking forward to touring with her. I was so impressed with her on Queen Of The Universe, which she won, so I’m excited to watch her set as a fan myself. I haven’t done a tour of this length in quite some time, and some of the cities that we’re going to I’ve never played before, so it’s a gorgeous opportunity.”
What do you enjoy about being on tour?
“Connecting with people in real life. I missed playing live to a room of people in COVID so much. It really changed something for me. I used to be so stressed about live shows before then, but since that time every show has felt like a gift. I’m excited now rather than nervous. I do still have good nerves, but I’ve let go of the pressure that I would put on myself to be perfect. I have way more fun on stage these days and I feel the shows are a lot more rewarding.”
These are challenging times we’re living in right now, to put it mildly, who or what gives you hope or comfort or uplifts and inspires you?
“My cat, frankly. He reminds me that life is amazing and that we are so lucky to live in this world. When I spend time with him instead of scrolling the horrific news cycles, it reminds me that life is magical. But also the people I see on tour remind me that there are many brilliant people living in our world and that reminds me to focus my energy towards them instead of the hateful and grotesque people who shout facelessly from behind a social media account.”
By James Kleinmann
Bright Light Bright Light’s latest mini album Duets is available now. The Cosmic Light North American Tour, with Bright Light Bright Light and Queen of the Universe winner Grag Queen, kicks off on March 31st, 2026. View the full tour schedule and purchase tickets at brightlightx2.com. Follow Bright Light Bright Light on Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, and Soundcloud.
For more on Zero Waste Daniel visit zerowastedaniel.com.
Leave a Reply