Buckle your seat belts, La Roux’s not your typical day-at-the-races, but then again, neither were the Eurythmics, Depeche Mode or David Bowie, all of who went on to have critically-acclaimed careers.
La Roux’s new single “Bulletproof” debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart. It went to No. 1 in England. So what does all this mean? Hot. Red Hot. Plus isn’t it refreshing to learn, in a world where contest-driven TV shows seem to be the only way to get head, that a band—talent, touring, perseverance and all—can still make it to No. 1.
But what makes La Roux —playing tonight at the Highline Ballroom—thrilling? Could it be the fact that feisty front woman, Elly Jackson, sports a signature copper-red pompadour and dresses in vintage clothes; or that she, at 21 (along with partner Ben Langmaid), actually writes her own songs, melody and all; or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that she sang in her school choir. I had the great opportunity of asking her myself.
New York Press: When did you start singing? When did Ben start playing the piano?
Elly Jackson: I started playing the guitar when I was seven, and played the piano from about the age of 9. I wrote my first song around the age of 13, and then I sang in the school choir till I was 16. Ben doesn’t really play the piano he co-produces, I tend to sit at the keyboard and play stuff while we talk and try different things out and Ben will say “I like that” or “I preferred it like this.” That’s how most of the songs were written. Neither of us are fabulous musicians but we get by!
Have you always wanted to sing and write songs? And was it something that was encouraged in your childhood?
Yeah, I’ve wanted to be a songwriter for as long as I can remember. I didn’t want to go to university, but because my mum and dad had helped my sister through college they said they’d help me for a couple of years too, so they let me live at home while I spent two years singing and writing with Ben. They’ve always been really supportive.
What do you see for the future of the band?
I’d like a totally different feel for the next album. Saxophone, bass and some happier subject matters maybe?
What other bands (both present and past) do you align yourselves with?
I don’t really align my self with anyone. I wouldn’t want to be that arrogant. Artists like Eurythmics, Depeche Mode and The Knife have been an influence but that doesn’t mean I think I’m at their level. I look up to people who’ve had long, successful careers and I wouldn’t ever compare myself until I’d achieved something similar.
What music/band are you listening to right now?
I’m listening to a lot of old disco and funk at the moment and Fever Ray.
Fashion and image seem to make-up a huge part of La Roux, as far as image goes, did you imagine what that would be like prior to meeting Ben?
The project we’ve been working on has changed a lot, the songs used to be folk and so the image was completely different then. It wasn’t a strong image though; it was undefined and unfocused because it wasn’t something I was bothered about. I just wanted to make the music. The image came later. I look up to artists like Prince and David Bowie who have a strong visual identity because it creates an air of mystery. When I’m La Roux, I dress up. It separates the whole thing from my real life and is much more interesting visually both on stage and in the press. Plus it stops me from going insane.
Are you writing new songs while on tour? How do you write songs?
I should be, I’ve got a second album to write… I tend to write the melody first, finding different chord sequences, either on guitar or piano, and then fit lyrics in to suit it. Sometimes I’ll have a lyric first though. I do nearly all of my writing with Ben, so although the songs are largely about my experiences he still has a huge input, we share ideas when we write together and it makes for better songs.
I've heard that when you started, you guys were more of an acoustic-driven duo and that the energy shifted when you decided to go more synth-pop.
We just didn’t like the demos we had when we were doing folk. We listened to them and knew it wasn’t right. We had written them on guitar but recording them in that vein didn’t work. It wasn’t exciting; we couldn’t see how it was going to translate to a bigger project. Around the same time we started listening to a lot of '80s music and I started going out clubbing a lot and becoming part of a scene and that became a natural influence for our new sound.
I cannot stop thinking that most of your songs are about unrequited love. Are most of the tunes autobiographical?
They are autobiographical. The situation I was writing about is a very different thing now, I’m much happier, so yeah it can be a bit weird going on stage and singing about how fucking depressed I was. I don’t get bored of it though, because each gig is totally different and you can change what the songs mean to you over time—thus the beauty of songwriting.
What are you most excited for in coming back to New York?
Seeing some good friends, going vintage shopping, eating frozen yogurt.
