In "Last Train", her new rapturous collaboration with Tiësto, Ladyhawke sings "you were on the way to changing all I know/You and all the stars are making my heart glow", quite a change for the introspective New Zealender who in her sophomore album declared “I’ve always been so cautious, I’m sick of feeling nauseous”. Ladyhawke has explored dance music in the past through an indie-rock filter, but this is the first time she's done something this upbeat. The artist has never shied away from sharing the darker aspects of her life with her fans - she is quite outspoken about what it's like to live with Asperger's syndrome - which is why it's refreshing to hear her at her most optimistic and romantic. Can we expect more songs like this in her upcoming album? What better way to know than to ask the renaissance woman herself. We talked to Ladyhawke about her new projects, her love of Mexican food and what to expect when she returns to New York City for a DJ set at Glasslands on August 2.

You’re currently in California and given your love of burritos, I bet you’re quite happy. Had any good food this time around?

Yeah! I actually just went to Cabo in Mexico, so I got to taste the real deal (laughs). It was so good, it was for my birthday, I went with my friends and we had amazing food.

You were in Two Lane Blacktop and now you’re Ladyhawke. Are you a big geeky classic movie fan?

Yeah, that’s a good question...I’ve always been a big movie fan. I’ve also named songs after movies like “Dusk Till Dawn”...

...“Paris is Burning”?

Yes! “The Quick and the Dead”, because films to me are important as music. I watch movies every day. I love movies and I’ll pretty much watch everything.

What are some of your favorites?

You see, that’s a really, really hard question, because I wouldn’t be able to tell you. Maybe Pulp Fiction is one of my all-time favorites...what’s that one with Robert Redford? Hmm it’s escaping me right now.

How about anything you’ve seen recently?

I think the last new film I saw was 12 Years a Slave and that was quite harrowing.

Yeah, quite tough to watch that one! But on to lighter topics, on your Instagram and Twitter you share everything from grooming accidents to pictures of chocolate your mom sends you. How important do you feel it is to connect to your fans through social networks?

It’s very important. I don’t take a lot of photos but I try to do at least one every week. I want people to see if I’m doing something interesting, or if I see something that looks pretty or a nice view or something. I like sharing because not everyone gets to travel and I get to travel a lot.

Your first album feels like a dance party in record form, while Anxiety your follow up is much more introspective and grungier.

When I was a teenager I was in grunge bands and hardcore bands (laughs)

What can we expect from your next album, will you be trying out new genres?

I’m working on a new album. I’ve sort of been working for the last year working on a record with PNAU, which is Nick Littlemore from Empire of the Sun, and we did this project together which took quite a lot of my time. Now I’m just working on my Ladyhawke record, which I’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks. It’s a very upbeat, summery album, so far it’s different to the first one and it’s nowhere near as dark as the second one.

Since you mentioned summer, can you talk about your collaboration with Tiësto “Last Train” which is the epitome of a summer anthem. How did you like working with him?

So, Tiësto’s been a supporter of mine for many, many years and we always wanted to work together but it’d never happened. I was always on tour or the timing didn’t work out, then he sent me the track, just the music and asked me to write the lyrics if I liked it. So, I listened to it, loved it and roughly recorded something in my home studio. He liked it, then I went to his studio and the song ended up on his album. That was awesome!

Did you have any other big summer anthems you loved that helped inspire this one?

I just sort of love that whole thing that Tiësto was in, it’s all about festivals and summer and dancing till the sun goes out again...I’ve always been on the outside of this process, cause my music always gets remixed, so I hadn’t been immersed in this like that before. Just the idea of being involved in this made me feel all excited and summery.

You’ve been doing remixes for other artists too though…

Yeah, that’s something I’m trying to get more involved in.

Anyone you’d like to work with, doing remixes of their songs?

Oh man, let me think...

I saw you’re a fan of Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita”, so how about that one?

Oh yeah, I love her! I love Madonna and Fleetwood Mac, if the song is cool, I’d love to give it a go.

What do you usually dance to?

If I feel like dancing, it’ll usually be hip-hop, like Missy Elliott.

She needs to come back by the way…

I know! She’s probably just rolling around in her millions (laughs)

I’ve seen you play live before, but I’ve never been to any of your DJ sets, can you tell us what to expect from your set at Glasslands in August?

When I DJ it’s usually just a party, my aim is to keep people dancing. I’ll play everything from old school hip-hop, to 90s dance, to electro, anything that’s fun.

What’s your favorite thing about coming back to New York?

Oh my god, I don’t even know where to begin, first of all the food. The deli sandwiches? Oh my god. Every time I go to New York I gain so much weight! I eat all the sandwiches, the pizza, the street hot-dogs, it’s terrible, but that’s my favorite thing!

Ladyhawke will play a DJ set at Glasslands on 08/02. Click here for more information and tickets.