La Roux

Elly Jackson channels her creative efforts through La Roux, a synth-pop vehicle where her incisive compositions and pristine singing voice established her as a singular figure reshaping 1980s textures for contemporary ears. The taut, densely layered yet instantly catchy textures of tracks such as “Bulletproof” and “Quicksand,” together with the 2009 self-titled debut that earned a Mercury Prize nomination and a Grammy, opened doors for countless similar acts throughout the following decade. Jackson had already shifted focus by then, exploring disco- and reggae-tinged rhythms on 2014’s Trouble in Paradise, which secured La Roux’s second Top Ten showing on the British album chart. With the assured, inviting tones of 2020’s Supervision, she reaffirmed her identity as an autonomous, continually evolving artist who repurposes earlier musical palettes in unexpected forms.

Prior to forming La Roux, Jackson immersed herself in folk and singer-songwriter traditions exemplified by Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell, drawing early creative cues from those sources. Exposure to rave culture steered her toward a sleeker aesthetic shaped by Prince, David Bowie, and the Knife. In 2006 she teamed with keyboardist and producer Ben Langmaid, an introduction facilitated by a shared contact. Langmaid’s résumé already included mid-’90s house work with Rollo of Faithless under the name Huff & Puff, a parallel stint in Huff & Herb, songwriting contributions to Kubb, and solo material released as Atomic. Jackson and Langmaid initially operated under the name Automan and focused on largely acoustic material, yet they soon embraced a synth-pop approach and adopted the French term La Roux, meaning “red-haired one,” after Jackson encountered it in a baby-name compendium.

Kitsune issued the project’s first single, “Quicksand,” in December 2008, prompting praise from both the BBC and The Guardian. The following March the duo backed Lily Allen on her U.K. tour and unveiled “In for the Kill,” which climbed to number two on the British singles chart. “Bulletproof” arrived in June and debuted at number one just a week before the self-titled album’s release. That LP mirrored the single’s success, reaching number two on the U.K. Albums Chart and achieving platinum status. September brought another single, “I’m Not Your Toy,” which peaked at number 27. The album crossed the Atlantic the same month, landing at number 70 on the Billboard 200 and number four on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Recognition followed in the form of a Mercury Prize nomination and a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album.

Momentum carried into 2010: Skream’s remix of “In for the Kill” earned Best Dancefloor Filler honors at the NME Shockwave Awards in early spring, “Bulletproof” entered Billboard’s Hot 100 Top Ten in June, and the mix album Sidetracked appeared in August. Jackson also lent her voice to “All of the Lights” on Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy; West later supplied a remix of “In for the Kill” included on a deluxe digital edition of La Roux in February 2011. Despite these accomplishments, Jackson found herself unprepared for sudden fame and began experiencing panic attacks along with vocal difficulties.

The duo paused touring in 2011 to focus on a follow-up record. Langmaid stepped away the next year while sessions were underway. Jackson enlisted additional songwriters and engineer Ian Sherwin to finish the project. May 2014 saw the release of “Uptight Downtown,” which reached number 63 on the U.K. Singles Chart. Two months later the disco- and reggae-inflected Trouble in Paradise entered the British album chart at number six; in the United States it debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Dance/Electronic Albums Chart.

After Polydor ended its agreement with the artist in early 2015, Jackson embraced full independence. While crafting new material she also joined forces with numerous collaborators, appearing on multiple tracks from New Order’s 2015 album Music Complete, contributing to Whyte Horses’ Empty Words in 2018 and their 2019 covers collection Hard Times, and supplying vocals for Tyler, the Creator’s IGOR that same year. Personal and artistic shifts occurred in tandem: she concluded a long-term relationship and abandoned an album she had spent three years developing. Fresh work on a third record began in late 2018 and concluded within months. Released in February 2020 on her own Supercolour imprint, Supervision featured co-production from Dan Carey and extended the warm, relaxed grooves introduced on Trouble in Paradise.