Phew! La Roux is back

Shy, retiring and demure. La Roux is none of that.

This fiery singer-songwriter has a burning passion for music – and has no time at all for those who fail to measure up.

We first heard of Elly Jackson back in 2009 with her electro-pop number two hit In For the Kill, and chart-topping floor-filler Bulletproof. With her flame hair and lurid make-up she made for a striking figure and, along with her collaborator and co-producer Ben Langmaid, rapidly became one of our biggest stars; her eponymous debut charting at number two,going platinum and earning her a Grammy.

But below the surface, Elly wasn’t happy. Frustrations mounted, tempers flared, relations with Ben soured and the pair went their separate ways.

Five years on, La Roux is back – ending a period of discontent, anxiety over a punishing touring schedule, debilitating panic attacks and, at one point, the catastrophic loss of her voice.

The result is Trouble in Paradise – a life-affirming slab of upbeat sexy pop, infused with the spirit of disco and reggae. Lauded by the critics, it charted at number six and heralded a storming summer of live dates, continuing with a tour which, on Saturday, reaches the O2 Academy.

So how does she feel? “I’m not going to talk about my album and tour and say everything’s great. That’s boring!” she tells me with trademark honesty.

One thing this album is not, she insists, is a comeback. She may have been out of the spotlight, but she certainly hasn’t been away. Work started before Ben’s departure two years ago – and continued, under the direction of producer Ian Sherwin, until earlier this year.

“The musical and sexual frustration I had felt before was important to me on this record,” she says. “It has definitely been frustrating, but the overwhelming feeling is uplifting and energetic.”

She goes on: “Writing began in 2011 but I didn’t feel I was really on it. I guess I wasn’t that confident or cut throat enough to make this second record. I ended up taking work that I shouldn’t have done to Ben and that slowed everything up, and the writing process that was in full flow dried up because of personal issues.

“I got writer’s block in the middle of the album. It’s not like I was hanging out at home chilling out, though. It just isn’t possible to do four things at once.

“As well as the anxiety of issues with Ben, I had massive voice problems and couldn’t sing – and relations with the label were breaking down.”

She laughs gently. “It sounds like I’m moaning!”

The consumate perfectionist, she doesn’t suffer fools gladly. “I only every get frustrated when I think things could be better,” she says.

“When other people’s drive doesn’t match mine it annoys me, and people use that against me – which angers me too.

“What angers me most though is when people put their lack of passion onto you. All I’m doing is caring more about this than them. I’m not really difficult; I really care. And I don’t like having my care for things being thrown back in my face.”

I joke that she must tire of being branded a fiery redhead. “It’s worse when I’m described as a diva!” she says, warming to the theme. “If you’re a bloke and speak powerfully about something you are not going to be called a diva, but as a woman you do.”

So is Elly the same person as La Roux – or does she adopt her stage persona as an alter ego? “I used to need the barrier,” she sighs. “I didn’t used to engage with people when I performed as I was so terrified of looking at the crowd – so performed in a more aggressive way.

“I used to overdo it and hid behind the character to make it easier. But this record has brought out part of me that has always been there – and it expresses another side to me. Musically it’s slinkier and has a subtler performance style while, at the same time being more powerful.

“Rather than being one character – La Roux – I feel there’s a different character for every song.

“These are things I’m trying out and having fun. And I’m really enjoying it.”

Does the sunnier softer-edge to Trouble in Paradise reflect a happier Elly Jackson then? “There are so many things about me that don’t change and so many that do,” she says.

“I feel comfortable in a completely different way. I am still quite an angry person, but mostly for the right reasons. But I can now catch myself and not get annoyed as much, as I’m not as nervous or bothered by the same things. It’s a bit more enjoyable.”

One thing she is happier with is touring, which, after the first album, was so gruelling it made her ill. Now back into it with a vengeance, she admits to actually enjoying it.

And why the change in style? “That’s the feel that works best,” she says. “Everything about it felt right for La Roux. It feels good.

“Obviously there’s still a part of me that thinks I could be more on top of things though. I haven’t had the backing I’d have liked to have had from all sorts of places, and I have been inexplicably shunned by some people. It feels like I’ve been picked on by people in extremely powerful situations and that enrages me.

“But everything about the record is how I wanted to feel about it. It’s difficult to flip-flop from being very het-up and being blissfully happy. But I’m both at the same time.”

She adds: “I don’t have anything to lose and it’s the time for other people to come out and see it.

“As musicians we need to stop trying to make a living and just make music that makes you feel good rather than just trying to make a hit.

“We need to stop worrying whether it’s going to be played on the radio, worrying whether it’s ‘four to the floor’ or EDM [Electronic Dance Music] enough. All labels do is risk assess the whole thing. There’s no ‘I love this, let’s just go for it’. The more the music industry is run by musicians, the better.”

And, if her recent shows are anything to go by, we are in for a treat. “I want people to come down,” she says. “I try and make it as ‘vibey’ as possible and I’ll give it everything I have. I’m proud of what I’m doing and hopefully everyone else will really enjoy it too.”

CHECK IT OUT
Trouble in Paradise by La Roux is out now.
She plays the O2 Academy Oxford on Saturday. Tickets £17.50 from ticketweb.co.uk

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