La Roux
Occupation
Band
Band form
2006
La Roux is a British electro / pop duo. They rose to fame in 2009, when they were selected as part of the BBC's annual 'Sound of.' poll. The female pop singer Little Boots won the overall vote. La Roux is comprised of Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid. The band has cited Heaven 17, Yazoo and The Human League as influences.
Formation:Elly Jackson was born on 8th March 1988, to the actress Trudie Goodwin (aka June Ackland in the Bill). Elly grew up in Herne Hill, London and was bullied at school, to the point where she almost left at the age of eight.
Jackson's love of music stemmed from listening to the likes of Nick Drake and Carole King, which she found in her parents' record collections. Whilst studying at Tabor Academy in the USA, she experimented with both folk and electronic music. Elly Jackson started a degree at the University of Nottingham but left in order to follow her music career.
On a personal level, Elly Jackson has referred to Molly Ringwald, Madonna and Annie Lennox as influences on her style. Her haircut has been compared to the hairstyles of the 1980s pop band A Flock of Seagulls.
Ben Langmaid is a London-based producer. He has previously worked with Rollo Armstrong of Faithless. Ben and Rollo attended the same school together and they formed an act called Huff & Puff in the 1990s.
Langmaid has also used the pseudonyms Atomic and Huff & Herb.
The other touring members of La Roux include Michael Norris on keys and computers, William Bowerman on drums and Mickey O'Brien on keys and backing vocals. O'Brien also performs as Ladyburden.
Career: Langmaid and Jackson were introduced by a mutual friend in 2006. Their first project was called Automan and consisted mainly of acoustic music.
La Roux's first single, 'Quicksand' was originally released by Kitsune Music. The band were then signed to Polydor Records, who released their debut album.
The second single from La Roux was 'In For The Kill'. Released in March 2009, Skream's remix of the single also became hugely popular. Polydor then released 'Bulletproof' as a single, before releasing the album, entitled La Roux.
In March 2009, La Roux were chosen as the main tour support on Lily Allen's tour. They also headlined the NME Radar Tour, supported by Magistrates, Heartbreak and The Chapman Family.
When La Roux went to America, they performed live on The Jimmy Kimmel Live show.
The album La Roux was nominated for the 2009 Mercury Music Prize, along with The Horrors, Kasabian, Bat For Lashes and Florence and the Machine. They lost out to Big Dada's new signing Speech Debelle.
Upcoming Releases: What Albums Are We Waiting For This Month?
By Holly Mosley in Music / Festivals on 01 February 2020
Add these albums to your waiting list now.
This month looks to be all about long-awaited returns from established artists. These are are seven most eagerly anticipated albums coming up in February 2020 - though we have a feeling these are just the tip of the icerberg...
La Roux - Supervision
(February 7)
It feels like a lifetime since her last album Trouble In Paradise was released, but six years on La Roux is finally here with album three Supervision. Now the solo project of Elly Jackson, we don't know entirely what to expect, though her latest single Automatic Driver gives us positive vibes.
Continue reading: Upcoming Releases: What Albums Are We Waiting For This Month?
Eight Albums We're Looking Forward To In 2020
By Holly Mosley in Music / Festivals on 31 December 2019
What's coming in 2020?
It's a new year and a new decade, so we're hoping it gets off to a good start in the world of music. There are some pretty exciting upcoming releases for 2020, from some of music's biggest legends, so we're confident we won't be left disappointed.
Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong
(17 January)
It's been the longest they've ever gone without releasing an album, but six years after UK number one 'So Long, See You Tomorrow', Bombay Bicycle Club return with 'Everything Else Has Gone Wrong'. They also have a new label, Mmm... Records, and if the title single and lead single 'Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)' are anything to go by, it will be another stellar hit.
Continue reading: Eight Albums We're Looking Forward To In 2020
La Roux Slams Fox For Using Song To Market 'Bulletproof' Kids Clothes
By Ed Biggs in Music / Festivals on 22 August 2018
Fox Business had used La Roux's 2009 song 'Bulletproof' to introduce a segment on a back-to-school range of bulletproof kids' clothes.
La Roux has hit out angrily at Fox Business for its use of her song ‘Bulletproof’ to accompany a segment about protective children’s clothes on a US television channel, describing their decision as “abhorrent”.
During a broadcast on Monday (August 20th), Fox Business used the 2009 track when introducing an item concerning bullet-proof backpacks and clothing. The products have been released in the context of emotional campaigns against the legality of gun ownership in America, and of several recent high-profile shootings in schools across the country.
The English singer, real name Elly Jackson, told Billboard: “Using ‘Bulletproof’, a song I wrote about relationships, for a piece like this is abhorrent. I have never and would never approve my music to be used in this way.”
Continue reading: La Roux Slams Fox For Using Song To Market 'Bulletproof' Kids Clothes
New Order Album To Feature Guest Stars Including Brandon Flowers
By Ed Biggs in Music / Festivals on 07 July 2015
The Killers frontman will be appearing on the first New Order album in a decade, alongside Iggy Pop and La Roux's Elly Jackson.
As well as announcing a short UK tour this autumn, the returning indie veterans New Order have revealed that their upcoming album will feature a number of guest stars from musical past and present.
Music Complete, their ninth studio album, will be coming out on September 25th, the band confirmed last month. On Tuesday (July 7th), however, they teased some more details about the album’s sound, and that it will contain appearances from Brandon Flowers, Iggy Pop and La Roux.
Continue reading: New Order Album To Feature Guest Stars Including Brandon Flowers
Ben Langmaid Calls Ian Sherman An Idiot As La Roux/Kanye West Thing Blows Up
By Jack de Aguilar in Music / Festivals on 22 July 2014
Ben Langmaid has made his feelings on his replacement very clear
It all started when Elly Jackson of La Roux fame answered a question on Kanye West by saying: "No, f*ck him. Nobody likes him." Actually, it seems like it all started when Jackson showed her erstwhile collaborator some disco tracks while producing the follow up album, ‘Trouble in Paradise’. Either way, there’s bad blood.
Langmaid seems to have stirred the proverbial pot of faeces by declaring his love for Kanye on Twitter, flying directly in the face of Jackson’s comments. Whatever your opinions on Kanye, it’s clear that at least a few people do actually like him. But that’s not really what Langmaid was getting at, we presume.
Continue reading: Ben Langmaid Calls Ian Sherman An Idiot As La Roux/Kanye West Thing Blows Up
La Roux - Uptight Downtown Single Review
By Max Cussons in Music Reviews on 02 June 2014
Since the departure of producer Ben Langmaid, synth-pop duo La Roux is now the solo project of Elly Jackson, who is finally back five years after their well-acclaimed 2009 self-titled debut. The new single is 'Uptight Downtown', taken from upcoming album 'Trouble In Paradise' (out 7th of July, via Polydor). So how does Jackson sound on her own?
In terms of the lyrics on this song, they're nothing amazing, but there's a strong theme of escapism: 'I can only ask myself, oh where are you all going, and won't you take me with you too, where all the sirens are blaring'. These lyrics in particular help build up to the incredibly catchy chorus that sees Jackson hitting sensually long notes as she sings 'It's all the way downtown' before the echoing effect of 'temperature is rising, is rising'.
Continue reading: La Roux - Uptight Downtown Single Review
Coachella 2013 Lineup Announcement
Posted on29 January 2013
Free Exclusive Music Downloads Now Available From Bacardi
Posted on02 July 2010
La Roux and Ivor Novello Awards - Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid of La Roux Thursday 20th May 2010 at Grosvenor House London, England
La Roux, Warehouse Project Manchester, 21st September 09 Live Review
By Katy Ratican in Music Reviews on 24 November 2009
Review of La Roux live at Warehouse Project Manchester on September 21st 2009
La Roux, In for the Kill Single Review
By Natalie Kaye in Music Reviews on 03 March 2009
Review of La Roux's single 'In For The Kill'.
La Roux, NME and Brixton Academy Wednesday 25th February 2009 The 2009 Shockwaves NME Awards held at the Brixton Academy. London, England