La Roux ( , ) are an English
electropop and
synthpop duo made up of singer, keyboardist, co-writer and co-producer
Eleanor Kate Jackson (born 12 March 1988), and keyboardist, co-writer and co-producer Ben Langmaid. Jackson describes their relationship as "very much a half and half sharing situation... not like a singer producer outfit", but also recognises that due to her prominence, it may "look like a solo act".
Their music is influenced by 1980s British synthpop including Yazoo, Erasure, Depeche Mode,}}
Career
In 2006, Jackson and Langmaid were introduced by a mutual friend. Their first project was named "Automan" and they wrote largely
acoustic music. Another remix was made by Lifelike. "In for the Kill" debuted at number eleven on the
UK Singles Chart on 22 March 2009, peaking at number two four weeks later. "
Bulletproof" was released on 21 June 2009 and debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. "
I'm Not Your Toy", released on 29 September 2009, reached number twenty-seven on the UK chart. On the 10 September 2009, Elly confirmed in an interview with French musical website Hall Musique that "As If by Magic" would be the fifth single to be released from the album.
In order to promote La Roux, the band was the supporting act on Lily Allen's UK tour of March 2009. La Roux headlined the Samsung NME Radar Tour 2009 and played alongside Magistrates and Heartbreak. They were scheduled to perform at the Glastonbury, Reading, Oxegen and Leeds festivals as well as the Scala, Southend Chinnerys and Coventry Kasbah venues. In July and August 2009, La Roux toured North America. The eight-city tour included performances at Osheaga Festival, All Points West Music & Arts Festival and the Lollapalooza event. On 23 July the group performed on the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The group will return to North America for a seven-date tour in October. The group sold out their two Australian dates within minutes forcing an upgrade in venues. November will see the duo embark on an eleven-date United Kingdom and Ireland tour. La Roux gained fifth position on the BBC Sound of 2009 poll. The Guardian website featured La Roux on their new band of the day column. The Guardian also featured La Roux as one of the "Best New Acts of 2009" in January of that year.
La Roux have received 2010 BRIT Award nominations in the categories of British Breakthrough Act and British Single for "In for the Kill".
On 26 January 2010, La Roux duetted with the 1980s synthpop group Heaven 17 on the 6 Music Live Combos show. Heaven 17 keyboardist Martyn Ware said that he was surprised at how well his and Jackson's voices connected.
La Roux also performed at T in the Park Balado, Scotland, V Festival (Chelmsford and Staffordshire) and Oxegen Festival (Ireland) along with many other artists in 2010.
During a gig in Perth, Australia the lights on the stage collapsed nearly hitting Mickey O'Brien after a lightning strike. By the end of March, Jackson was concerned about a sore throat that she blamed on months of singing. In April 2010, the group played the Coachella Festival.
La Roux have also been popular with music publication NME, with Jackson gracing the front cover of their 'Future 50' edition. They won the NME Award for Best Dancefloor Filler with the Skream Remix of 'In For The Kill'. They were also the only band to be featured 4 times on the NME 50 Best Tracks of 2009 list with Im Not Your Toy placed at 41, Bulletproof at 24, In For the Kill Skream Dubstep Remix at 19 and In For The Kill riding high at 8.
La Roux will be the judge at the 2010 "fantasy dress" at the Bestival festival.
On 25 June 2010, La Roux played the Glastonbury Festival. In addition to their own material the group dueted with Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 on Heaven 17's "Temptation" and played a cover of The Rolling Stones Under my Thumb. La Roux have played Under My Thumb since early 2010, including their March tour of Australia.
In July 2010, La Roux curated and mixed the latest volume of Sidetracked, a compilation series from Renaissance that allows artists from the electronic field free rein to showcase their musical interests. The mix eclectically features the likes of Japan, Heaven 17, Joyce Sims, Fever Ray (Lead singer of The Knife), Doris Troy, Tears For Fears, Gerry Rafferty and many more of her influences. It also includes an exclusive recording of the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb", a cover Elly's been featuring in her recent live sets. Album notes, with explanations for each choice, can be found here.
For several months while touring in 2010 Jackson struggled with bronchitis. After Jackson contracted pharyngitis following the group's July show in Los Angeles La Roux was forced to postpone the remainder of the US tour. A new 11 date United States East Coast tour was announced for November 2010.
Sales of the group's song "In for the Kill" spiked 600 percent when it was played on the HBO show Entourage in August 2010. Later that month, it was announced that an EP remix has been released in tandem with the November US tour. In October a second video for the song was released that was shot at New York's landmark Hotel Chelsea. The song was released in the United States 7 October.
In December 2010, La Roux was nominated for two 53rd Grammy Awards. Their debut album and their single "In for the Kill" were nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best Dance Recording respectively.
Band members
Elly Jackson
Elly Jackson's first interest was in
folk music. She was particularly interested in
Carole King and
Nick Drake whose music she discovered in her parents' record collection. Jackson's early musical material consisted of folk ditties influenced by
Joni Mitchell. Her taste in music changed during her mid-teens when she became involved in the
rave scene. She lists
Gerry Rafferty,
David Bowie,
Madonna,
Prince and
The Knife as her influences. Jackson is unhappy with what she perceives as a "normality" fashion trend among a majority of today's musical acts. Her androgynous clothing and hair style, which has been compared to the 1980s group
A Flock of Seagulls, is being imitated. Jackson strongly opposes stylists who try to change her appearance to a more classically feminine look. Jackson does not feel that
social networking will help musicians' careers in the long run because it makes them too accessible at the expense of mystery and intrigue.
Jackson's mother is Trudie Goodwin, who rose to fame playing June Ackland on the long-running police series The Bill.
Jackson and others are collaborating with Kanye West on his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy set for 22 November 2010 release. The album is a companion to West's mini movie Runaway.
Ben Langmaid
Ben Langmaid is the second half of La Roux but he does not participate in the music videos or live performances with the band. Langmaid, a London-based producer and composer, has been involved with various other music projects in the past. He has a close association with
Rollo Armstrong of
Faithless; the two musicians went to the same school and later collaborated as Huff & Puff in the mid 1990s, releasing the
house single "Help Me Make It" in 1996. Langmaid also recorded as Atomic and was one half of Huff & Herb before contributing as a songwriter to
indie rock band
Kubb's debut album
Mother, released in 2005. Langmaid turned down the offer of a permanent position in Kubb. O'Brien is currently in a long-term relationship with English actor
Jim Sturgess. Mickey is also the younger cousin of Radiohead's
Ed O'Brien.
William Bowerman
(Drums)
Former drummer for I Was a Cub Scout, an indie band from Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
Discography
La Roux (2009)
Festival appearances
List of La Roux festival appearances:
Isle of Wight Festival, Newport, IOW, UK (12 June 2010)
Coachella Festival, Indio, CA, USA (April 2010)
|-
| rowspan="2"| Studio8 International Music Awards
| Best Female Newcomer
| Elly Jackson
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| Studio8 Song of July 2009
| "Bulletproof"
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Mercury Prize
| —
|
La Roux
|
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| rowspan="3"|
MTV Europe Music Awards
| Best New Act
| rowspan="3"| La Roux
|
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| Best Push Artist
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| Best UK & Ireland New Act
|
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| rowspan="2"|
Virgin Media Music Awards
| Best Newcomer
|| La Roux
|
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| Best Album
| "La Roux"
|
|-
|
mtvU Woodie Awards
| Breaking Woodie
| rowspan="3"| La Roux
|
|-
|
Q Awards
| Breakthrough Artist
|
|-
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UK Festival Awards
| Best Breakthrough Act
|
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Popjustice £20 Music Prize
| 5th
| "In For The Kill"
|
|-
|
The Record of the Year
| 7th
| "In For The Kill"
|
|-
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UK Music Video Awards
| Best Styling in a Video
| "Quicksand"
|
|-
| iTunes 2009 UK Music Awards
| Single of the Year
| "In for the Kill"
|
|-
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Best Art Vinyl
| Best Art Vinyl 2009
|
La Roux
| style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;"|9
th
|-
| rowspan="15"| 2010
| rowspan="2"|
Brit Awards
| British Breakthrough Act
| La Roux
|
|-
| British Single
| "In for the Kill"
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|
Glamour Women of the Year Awards
| Band of the Year
| La Roux
|
|-
| Sheer Infusion Newcomer
| La Roux
|
|-
| rowspan="3"|
NME Awards
| Best Dancefloor Filler
| "In for the Kill (Skream Remix)"
|
|-
| Best New Band
| La Roux
|
|-
| Worst Dressed
| Elly Jackson
|
|-
||
Ivor Novello Awards
| Best Contemporary Song
| "In for the Kill"
|
|-
||
MTV Video Music Japan Awards
| Best Dance Video
| "Im Not Your Toy"
|
|-
| rowspan="5"|
International Dance Music Awards
| Best Underground Dance Track
| "In for the Kill (Skream Remix)"
|
|-
| Best Alternative/Rock Dance Track
| "Bulletproof"
|
|-
| Best Electro Track
| "In for the Kill (Skream Remix)"
|
|-
| Best Dubstep/DNB/Jungle Track
| "In for the Kill (Skream Remix)"
|
|-
| Best Break-Through Artist (Group)
| La Roux
|
|-
|
NewNowNext Awards
| Brink of Fame: Music Artist
| "La Roux"
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2011
| rowspan="2"|
Grammy Awards
| Best Dance Recording
| "In for the Kill"
|
|-
| Best Electronic/Dance Album
| "La Roux"
|
[
|}
]
References
External links
Official website
La Roux at Billboard.com
La Roux Interviewed: In For The Kill With Elly Jackson Luke Turner for The Quietus, 18 June 2009
It's not just being catchy Elly Jackson for The Independent 19 May 2010
Paul Morley interviews Elly Jackson of La Roux
In For The Kill Vogue Interview 25 June 2010
Category:2000s music groups
Category:2010s music groups
Category:Electronic music duos
Category:English electronic music groups
Category:English pop music groups
Category:Interscope Records artists
Category:Musical groups established in 2008
Category:Musical groups from London
Category:Polydor Records artists
Category:Synthpop
Category:Wonky Pop acts
![La Roux - Tigerlily [[with lyrics]]](http://web.archive.org./web/20110819190359im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Iwg6tFr1ZSY/0.jpg "La Roux - Tigerlily [[with lyrics]]")
