"Distant Lights" is a song by American indie rock band Ivy. It was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, All Hours (2011). It was issued in the United States on June 7, 2011 as a digital download by Nettwerk. The single was written and produced by Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase.

After its release, "Distant Lights" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complemented the track for being "completely different" when compared to Ivy's previous material. However, one reviewer found the track to be "boring" and "outdated". The track was made available as a free download for a short amount of time in support of the release of All Hours.

After the release of In the Clear (2005), Ivy embarked on an extended hiatus to focus their time on their children and solo careers. Member Adam Schlesinger was busy with his side project Fountains of Wayne, while Andy Chase was working on a new band named Brookville. In 2008, they worked on a new record, even completing most of the project. However, after listening to the completed material, they found it to be "awful"; Chase stated that "it was the first time [they] doubted whether [they] even had another Ivy album left in [them]".

Afraid that Ivy would become "unrecognizable" and "boring", Durand stated that "[she] really can't stand when [she sees] musicians, great songwriters, and after having kids they become so boring, [she talks] about that all day. [She doesn't] need to talk about that in [her] songs", concluding that she needed "escape". Durand was determined to create "the best album yet", and set up dates and recording sessions with Chase and Schlesinger to work on what would become All Hours. The album explored new genres for Ivy, including EDM and electronic music, something Chase stated "seem[ed] natural and ma[de] sense".

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