In September 2007, The Guardian newspaper featured them as their 'New Band of the Day', commenting on Blanchard's "bloke-ishly rasping vocals".

[3] In 2007, they featured on Richard Branson's new television project Virgin 1 and played at the launch party at his home in Oxfordshire with support from the band The Enemy.

The Brightlights were reportedly on the verge of becoming one of the biggest exports in modern UK guitar music and were one of the last bands to be offered a large five album deal advance by Jive/Zomba Records, before the label collapsed in 2011.

The Brightlights represent one of the quickest and most un-documented rise & fall stories in popular band culture of the early noughties.

On 18 November 2022, The Brightlights reformed for a special gig at KU Bar Stockton as part of their 20th Birthday celebrations.

[9] Prolific DJs such as Zane Lowe, Colin Murray and Steve Lamacq positively commented on the band's releases.

It reached the top 5 in the BBC Indie Charts beating both Kings Of Leon & Arctic Monkeys on weekly vinyl sales.

[11] The band have cited Arctic Monkeys, Morning Runner, Razorlight, Coldplay, The Kooks and Oasis as their influences - with Channel 4 Music describing them as "explosive melodic rock with a dark edge.