Email interview conducted with Laura Nichol, vocalist for Light This City.

First, can you state your name and what you do in the band?
Laura Nichol: Laura. I’m the vocalist.

How did you come up with the name Light This City?
Laura: We were about 16 when we came up with it. I thought it could mean revealing the truth, or shedding light on something. The boys think it sounds like blowing up a city.

You just released Facing the Thousand on Prosthetic Records. What was the writing and recording process like for that?
Laura: Before Facing the Thousand, Ben, our drummer, was writing all of the music. After Remains of the Gods came out, we got two new amazing guitarists, Steve and Brian, who started to write with Ben. For Facing, everyone basically sat around in a circle at practice and collaborated, churning out songs before I could begin to keep up with writing lyrics! It all happened so fast. We like to think that the music is intricate and creative, but the process was also easy and fun.

How did you end up working with Trevor from The Black Dahlia Murder?
Laura: I had emailed Trevor after our first CD came out to ask him for help with my gutturals. He emailed me back with a lot of great tips, and next time the Black Dahlia Murder came to town, I introduced myself and we ended up becoming great friends. It was only natural that I ask him to do guest vocals, and it just so happened that BDM was playing San Francisco the same day I was recording. It was fate!

How do you think the band has progressed since Remains of the Gods came out?
Laura: Since three people are writing instead of one, I think the music is definitely more interesting, with more influences, leads, and harmonies. Everyone has developed their skills more and we are tighter as a band. Everything is faster, including the vocal patterns. We really tried to step it up with a modern American twist on an older, European sound.

You recently did the Spreading Disease Tour. How was that?
Laura: The most amazing two months of my life. Since everyone was around the same age and it was one of the first tours a couple of the bands had done, everyone shared the same experiences together. We partied on rooftops in NYC…vans broke down and we helped each other out…we played packed rooms to screaming fans and empty rooms to just each other. Some of my best friends are in those bands, and I would kill to tour with all of them again.

What are your touring plans for the rest of the year?
Laura: We just confirmed this November/December tour with From a Second Story Window and our buds in The Acacia Strain and Through the Eyes of the Dead. There’s talk about Europe in the spring, and I’m crossing my fingers so tight, they might just break.

How did you hook up with Prosthetic Records?
Laura: We sent them our first CD, The Hero Cycle, when we were all around 15 and 16, and they contacted us. They thought we were a bit young, so we dropped out of touch for a while, but sent them a couple of newer songs several months later. I guess they decided they had to have us, parent signatures and all, so we signed and released Remains of the Gods!

Have you done a video yet or plan to do one?
Laura: There has been a lot of talk about a video along the way, and I think we are finally looking at January. I’m super excited! It should be severely metal.

What can someone who has never seen you live expect at one of your shows?
Laura: Hair, hair, and more hair, ha ha. They can expect us to be having the time of our lives. We love playing our songs, even if there aren’t many people at a show, and I think people who watch us can tell we’re having fun. Someone said they watched us and wanted to go on a Viking, church-burning spree across Europe afterward.

Who did the artwork for Facing the Thousand?
Laura: Mario Garza aka Robot Plague. He’s our art slave!

Is there a specific message to the name of the album, or the lyrics?
Laura: I was reading Watership Down when I was writing the lyrics. Some songs explore issues that various types of leaders come across; inadequacy, abuse of power, loyalty. Some other themes deal with nature and how fucked up it can be, the differences between animals and humans, and death (of course). As a band, I feel we go on a similar journey to the characters in the book. We face many obstacles, enemies, experiences, opportunities. I liked the open-endedness of the title. People can interpret it to relate to their own lives. It’s also the album that is kind of breaking us into the masses and we are so proud of it. We’re prepared to face anything with this monster.

Metallica or Megadeth?
Laura: Personally, Megadeth. I grew up on both, but I think Megadeth has stayed truer to their roots and keeps making awesome music.

Do you have any pre show rituals?
Laura: I do breathing exercises, vocals warm-ups, and a couple of shots of JD don’t hurt, either, ha ha.

Do you feel that people ever overlook the band for having a female vocalist, despite Laura being an amazing vocalist?
Laura: I think of course some people will immediately write us off, yeah, But we try to avoid gimmick, and we all take ourselves seriously as musicians, first and foremost. If people just listen or watch, I feel confident I can convert ‘em!

How was the Gates of Hell festival?
Laura: It was fun, and we got to party with a lot of our friends, but the sound was shot. The mic went out before the set was over. Anyone reading this that went to it, we are sorry, and hope you can catch another show!

If you could play a show with any three artists, past or present, who would they be?
Laura: Old ones: At the Gates, Carcass, Death. New ones: The Black Dahlia Murder, Hypocrisy, A Wilhelm Scream

Thanks for taking the time to do this. Do you have any last words for the fans and readers?
Laura: Come party with us on tour! Buy our album—it’s really good!