Twenty-four-year-old electro-pop singer/songwriter Lights came to my attention when her catchy major-label debut, "The Listening," landed on my desk a couple years ago. Driving one chilly fall evening in 2009, my kid and I found common ground. I liked the poppy sensibilities and he liked, well, I suspect, the poppy sensibilities.

The record – packed with instantly infectious pop songs rendered in electronic arrangements – has never left the car and, in fact, we listened to it just this morning on the way in.

Now, the Canadian Lights (nee Valerie Poxleitner) returns to Milwaukee this week as part of the tour for her second major release, "Siberia," which was released at the start of October.

"Siberia" feels a little peppier, a little dancier than its predecessor, but what hasn't changed is Lights' ability to craft a catchy lyric and wed it to a memorable melody. It's notable that she was signed as a songwriter before she landed a deal as a performer.

Before she lands at Turner Hall tomorrow, we asked her about how bright things are in her life these days.

OnMilwaukee.com: You've said you started writing songs as soon as you learned three chords. Does writing come easily to you or do you really have to work hard to get a song out?

Lights: Some songs come easier than others. There are moments where you just need to get something out, and a melody is paired with it. That's a song like "Cactus in the Valley." Others are built in studio, beat first, music, then melodies, and I go home and finish the lyrics.

Sometimes they're reworked, rerecorded months later to take on another vibe. Generally, though, by the time the chorus is written you'll know if it's worth working more on or not. Sometimes they just don't work out, and it's not worth hacking and slashing through it to fix it.

OMC: Was there more pressure to write the songs for "Siberia" because "The Listening" had done so well?

Lights: It's definitely challenging writing a second record once there are expectations established. The songwriting itself was not that hard, that's something that is naturally in me. It's how the songs are going to come out sounding, the production, which really affects how the record and the songs will be perceived, and who will be listening. It took some time to shed those expectations, but it became very important.

OMC: I heard that you grew up around the world thanks to your parents' missionary work. Were you aware of the music in those places and do you think that music informs your songs?

Lights: Each place I lived – the Philippines and Jamaica – definitely has its own brand of music. But it wasn't necessarily those styles that influenced my music, more so the outlook on life and the world that I gained from having seen what I'd seen. I built a great foundation with my family and it became about who you're with, not where you are or what you have. That, in essence, is what the song "Siberia" is about. It has affected my perspective on writing since day one.

OMC: Whenever I've heard you perform acoustically I've been struck by how well the songs come across even without the full production. Have you considered doing a record that's got that kind of more intimate setting?

Lights: I've actually released an acoustic EP called "Lights Acoustic" in the summer of 2010. It won't be the last of those, either. While electronic is my genre, I will always find ways to let the songs shine on their own, stripped down. I put a lot of effort into writing good songs.

OMC: How has your life changed since "The Listening" came out?

Lights: It's kind of hard to answer this because it's like asking me what has happened for the past two years! Everything. I've grown, matured, fallen in love, toured a ton, become a better performer, songwriter, singer, player. My musical tastes have changed, my style has evolved. These are all natural progressions one takes over a couple years. "Siberia" is a reflection of it all.

OMC: Tell me a bit about the gigs. Who comes out to see you – what are the audiences like?

Lights: It really depends where we are, and the crowds evolve, too, as the music does. In Canada the audience is a bit more broad as a result of getting some music television play, radio play, etc. In the states, the people that come out are those that found me via word of mouth or on the internet, for the most part. There are nerds, jocks, gay, straight, young, old, girls and boys. It's kind of amazing!