It's nearly twenty years since La Roux launched on the music scene, turning heads with her falsetto vocals and irrepressibly catchy electronic music. In 2009, her song Bulletproof reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, and in 2011, she won a Grammy.
But life in the spotlight hasn't been easy; the years which followed saw La Roux – whose real name is Elly Jackson – navigate a "toxic" feud with her management and record label, lose her voice for four years, receive an autism diagnosis and end her long-term relationship.
South London-born Elly, 38, has appeared in the pages of hello! for many years, having taken part in family shoots as a child alongside her mother, Trudie Jackson, who played Sergeant June Ackland in The Bill for 24 years.
© Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty ImagesNow, following a busy summer touring the US and supporting pop star Hilary Duff, La Roux tells hello! why she is back with new music – and how she's ready to take on the world.
Welcome back, La Roux! Tell us about your new album, Old Flames…
Thank you! I think this record is one of the best records I've ever made. I've referenced a lot of the early-noughties stuff that I miss, like Mariah Carey's Heartbreaker. The title makes it feel like it's only about the [breakdown] of the relationship, but it's not; it's everything, what everyone expected me to do, all the things I thought I was which don't feel true to me any more. It's meant to be really courageous and joyful. I'm admitting where my failures were, which I don't think I've really done on a record before.
What was it like losing your voice?
I lost it for four years, from the stress and pressure after two years touring the first record. I realised everyone around me was quite toxic; I think the trust issues and tension which comes with that is very deep. I had residual tension of the larynx, which means whatever you do, you can't relax your larynx. Every time I went to sing high notes, which was most of my music, I couldn't. Air is all that would come out. It took me the best part of four or five years to fix that problem.
© WireImage for Serpentine SummerYou supported Lily Allen on tour in 2009. Are you still in touch?
Totally. I saw her just before [West End Girl] came out and I think there were still nerves. She sent it to me and I was like, 'Wow, this is really brave.’ I've always admired that about her, the way she opens the door into her world, whereas I'm always hiding in metaphors. I thought, ‘This is a very empowering thing for you to do,’ because I knew what had gone on. I knew from the second I heard it that it was going to do well and I was really pleased for her. I think it gives a lot of people from our generation hope. Success now in the music industry feels ageless.”
What impact has your autism diagnosis had on you?
It was super helpful because I was having a lot of sensory issues I didn't understand. I used to feel like my clothes were strangling me and it got worse after all this traumatic stuff happened to me. I felt like I was going mad. You can't take pills for autism but the diagnosis does help; it means you can communicate to your partner, your family, [that] there's a reason I'm tense. Previously, people would be like, 'Oh, you're being dramatic.’
What's been the biggest pinch-me moment of your career?
It was pretty cool to do Absolutely Fabulous (she appeared in the 2012 New Year's special). I used to watch it religiously and I used to be able to quote various episodes. I heard they were doing a new episode so I emailed Jennifer Saunders. I was sort of cheeky, I said, 'This is how I think the scene could go.’ And then she said, 'Yeah, let's do it.’ I created my own sequence in it, which was wild.
The other highlight of my career was winning a Grammy. It was weird; the category we were in (best electronic/dance album) is not a main one, so they don't televise it. They put you in a different building with foldout chairs. But we partied afterwards – someone invited us to someone's mansion in the Hollywood Hills with dolphin fountains.
© FilmMagicHow do you unwind?
I really like to be in the garden. There is nothing better than being in nature. As a perfectionist, I never think of anything else when I'm considering how to make an area of my garden better. My mum is an avid gardener and I think I've been passed on the green fingers.
What are you hoping for next?
I'm so happy I'm in this new space but I have a lot more to say. I have some ideas for my next record already, and I can already tell there's a magic in them that I haven't had in my music for a very long time.
Old Flames by La Roux is out this Friday
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