Much like a lightyear, music can, at times, seem limitless. From one end of a spectrum to another, it ranges from simple chord progressions to the complex, from the unimaginative to the avant garde. But somewhere in between lies those musicians who just know how to reach you from the chaos.

Lauren Zettler’s electro-pop project, Lightyear, is just that—a moment of clarity. It’s an honest look into the heart and thoughts of a person who is truly human—a person who feels deeply and wants to share this clarity she’s found with others.

“My heart is loyal to me, even when it deceives me,” sings Zettler. And when the single from All of the Miles, “It Beats,” repeats it titular line, you are left pondering what it means to live and love. Your heart has your best interest, even if in the end you are hurt from it. All logic may be telling you, “He’ll break your heart.” But, oh, do you love him. And your heart pushes you to experience what life is all about. It pushes you to risk falling in love. And it pushes you to open yourself to being vulnerable. Yes, it will hurt. It always does. But the fact of the matter is, your heart will continue to beat. As blood flows through, it will heal itself, and you will love again—this time, knowing yourself a little bit better.

Now living in Brooklyn, Zettler was raised as the daughter of scientists. However, she took the road less traveled by her family to pursue music. And with songs like “It Beats,” it’s clear as to why she needed to take this road. In a way it was calling to her, offering to her peace of mind and catharsis. With a mind like hers, she is able to take what may be a painful experience, and transform it into a relatable work of art—all the while transforming herself.

I had the opportunity to speak with Zettler about moving all around the U.S., finding a home in Brooklyn, and writing about emotions we all deal with. The human experience can, at times, feel isolating. But with music like Lightyear’s, it’s easy to remember that we’re all in this together.

You’ve lived all over the United States. How have places like Indiana and Boston influenced you becoming a musician?

I think living in the Midwest helped trigger a yearning for something a little bigger. Growing up there was great; I had a nice childhood. But as soon as I found out a place like New York existed, I found out all of these other life choices existed, and I wanted to experience it. I moved to Boston for school, and was surrounded by musicians. I had never truly admitted I wanted to play my own music until I got there and saw how many people were being courageous and going for it. So, in short, I think living in all these different cities really helped me overcome a certain amount of fear.

Why did you eventually end up in Brooklyn? 

I was living in Manhattan when I first came to New York, and when it was time to look for a new living situation, Brooklyn was just calling my name. It’s full of creative peers, it’s more affordable, quiet, and it’s quaint. I love it.

How has living in Brooklyn influenced your music?

There is definitely a Brooklyn music scene that is hard not to be influenced by—everyone is trying to do something different and inspired, and it makes me want to try harder. Most of my bandmates live in Brooklyn as well. I met my bass player when I saw him play with a random band in Greenpoint. It’s just a really great place to hang out and make things happen.

Are you planning on staying in Brooklyn for a while?

Yes, for as long as it makes sense. I’d love a West Coast adventure at some point, but for now Brooklyn is home and there’s really no reason to leave.

In what environment are you most creative? Where do you find the most inspiration?

I am the most creative when I’m alone. I’m a bit of an introvert, and I feel most comfortable letting my mind go and trying new things when there isn’t anyone else around. I feel most inspired by things that have upset me or things I feel sad about—if there’s something happening that I don’t quite understand and need to figure out or express, writing is one of the only ways I can work through that.

How do you reconcile working with universal themes (such as heartbreak or love) and making them your own? 

Heartbreak and love are universal themes because absolutely everyone who exists can relate to it. It’s the easiest thing to write about, and somehow there are always new ways to talk about it. I’ll hear songs sometimes that have really incredibly simple lyric hooks and think “Ah! That’s so spot-on and simple. Why didn’t I think of that first?!” Anyway, overall, you make them your own if you’re writing authentically, drawing from something within yourself … and that’s really all you can do. Someone out there will connect with it.

Your parents are scientists. Did any of that stick while growing up? Maybe a fascination with space?

I’ve never really thought about it in that way before! I’ve basically spent my whole life trying to get away from science because I was just never good at it. Even my brother studied chemical engineering, so literally my whole family is science-minded. I think I kind of connect with things on a more visual or emotional level—if I can find the beauty in science, I’m completely interested. Space is incredibly beautiful, so it’s easy for me to get lost in it.

How was shooting the video for “It Beats”? It’s a stunning video, but I’m sure it was quite the process…

Thank you! It was definitely a process. We shot a teaser video months beforehand as an announcement for the release of my new EP, so we had a lot of shots to work with when we went into making the full-length version. Kristen Winter (director/editor) and I spent a lot of time brainstorming things that would read really well on camera and be a little weird, and tried to think outside of the box. A few things took ages to do—mainly the gold leaf application. Those shots took up an entire day of shooting. At the end, we had all of this material that represented something changing form, and I think Kristen did a really great job editing it together in a way that makes sense, but also has the viewer kind of going “huh?” a few times, which was the goal. I’m really proud of it.

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For more information visit IAmLightyear.com.