When Valerie Poxleitner, a.k.a. Lights, was 11-years-old and writing songs, she never imagined that one day they would be heard all around the world. But only a decade later, all this and more has happened.

It was initially a commercial deal with Old Navy that brought her into the spotlight last year, which featured the song “February Air” in a five-part series. Not long thereafter, “Drive My Soul” became a hit on commercial radio, and Lights' career quickly became something to be marvelled at.

But her career has been just as interesting as her home-life.

Coming from a missionary family, Poxleitner was homeschooled, “which in itself is a different way to be raised,” she told me hours before going onstage at Call the Office.

“My mom would teach most of the week and my dad would take over one of the days and that was the day we got to do music... so it became something I always look forward to doing.”

She started writing songs very early on, but it took years to find the electronic-pop sound that defines her. Until then, she played in many outfits, even a heavy metal band.

“We were called Shovelface,” Lights laughed.

Her music now is not quite as aggressive and has in fact found a wide appeal among youth and young adults. One of many artists to channel the ‘80s, the songs are heavily synth-based with a retro kind of flare. For example, she plays a keytar.

But perhaps the most admirable parts of her songs are the lyrics, which always seem hopeful, even when dealing with cheerless subject matter.

“All of my songwriting is spawned from moments of intense emotion, but to me there's no point in doing anything unless you get something out of it, and writing another sad song isn't going to change how you feel,” Lights explained. “So, I take those sad feelings and write something that's going to encourage me and I not only get a song out of it, but I get a mood change... I purposely write things that calm me down and make me happy.”

And her unique style is catching on.

Last month's concert at Call the Office sold out soon after doors opened, and in cities like Toronto she can easily play venues with a capacity of hundreds, if not a few thousand.

But this newfound admiration has forced Lights to adapt to the life of a touring musician. Luckily, past experience has also prepared her for this.

“[My family is] the most unsettled one I know. I think I've moved 25 times. So as a result, I don't cling to things... because I'm just so used to leaving things behind - everything from a stuffed animal to a friend, which sounds bad, but sometimes you have to get used to not ever seeing someone again when you spend two years with them...”

Further support has been provided by her manager, Jian Ghomeshi, who, although now a CBC personality on the Radio One program “Q”, performed for years in the Canadian band Moxy Früvous.

And though she has now made thousands of fans (including many young females who look up to her), Lights is determined to keep firmly grounded. She still reads and writes comic books, and has an admitted addiction to “World of Warcraft.” Not hobbies one would expect from a rising star.

Nevertheless, many expectations have been placed on this enigmatic young performer, who is still only 21 years of age, but from the response in London and all over the world, her career is already on the right path.