In March 2009, La Roux - then an electro-pop duo made up of Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid - seem to spring out of nowhere with In For Kill, a No. 2 hit helped on its way by an excellent Skream remix. But they’d already created a buzz the year before with their debut single, Quicksand, and come fifth on the 91Èȱ¬ Sound poll of 2009. Third single Bulletproof was a No. 1 in the UK in June that year – just as La Roux played the Live Lounge – and broke the pair in the US, where they won a Grammy for their self-titled debut album.
La Roux became an Elly Jackson solo project for album two - last year’s Trouble In Paradise. That it didn’t chart as high as her debut was a mystery to anyone who’s heard the record - a near-faultless collection of cheeky, disco-influenced pop that was an instant critical smash. Zane Lowe premiered its lead single, Let Me Down Gently, last June and her superb live band played 6 Music Live in October. An absolute must-see.
In March 2009, La Roux - then an electro-pop duo made up of Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid - seem to spring out of nowhere with In For Kill, a No. 2 hit helped on its way by an excellent Skream remix. But they’d already created a buzz the year before with their debut single, Quicksand, and come fifth on the 91Èȱ¬ Sound poll of 2009. Third single Bulletproof was a No. 1 in the UK in June that year – just as La Roux played the Live Lounge – and broke the pair in the US, where they won a Grammy for their self-titled debut album.
La Roux became an Elly Jackson solo project for album two - last year’s Trouble In Paradise. That it didn’t chart as high as her debut was a mystery to anyone who’s heard the record - a near-faultless collection of cheeky, disco-influenced pop that was an instant critical smash. Zane Lowe premiered its lead single, Let Me Down Gently, last June and her superb live band played 6 Music Live in October. An absolute must-see.
