Flame haired singer La Roux has let rip at her critics, claiming that she does not know why is labelled as being an 80s influenced artist.
La Roux is one of this year’s breakthrough artists. Last year’s single ‘Quicksand’ won fans but the track found it difficult to gain airplay. It seems that singer Elly Jackson’s distinctive voice was too much to swallow for some, even when new track ‘In For The Kill’ was released.
Gaining a following on the dancefloor, the song became a word of mouth hit pushing it up the charts. Eventually radio stations relented and with extra airplay the song became a massive hit barging its way into the Top Ten.
Of course, no one gets to the top without criticism. In La Roux’s case, some have argued that the duo are simply retro, regurgitating the sounds of the 80s with a modern slant. However in a new interview La Roux’s Elly Jackson claims she has no idea why someone would label her as an 80s influenced artist.
“I don’t get it… Obviously there’s elements of Human League, Heaven 17, Blancmange and Simple Minds, we’re not denying that because those were our influences with the album. But we certainly haven’t just gone and tried to recreate 80s music…”
“But because it’s all synths, people go ‘oh, 80s’. It’s just pop music! The Eurythmics was never seen as electropop, it was just pop music. Neither was Depeche Mode, it’s just pop music. This is a fifties-inspired quiff! Get a grip.”
The electro singer also took aim at those who criticise her success, claiming it does not prevent her from making innovative music. “If I stayed underground, the music stays underground. There’s no other way of being successful, or bringing a certain type of music into the foreground, without being in the charts.”
La Roux’s debut album is due for release over the summer – click HERE for our verdict. The singer was due to play a host of festivals but her live commitments meant that a number of appearances were cancelled.
The ‘Quicksand’ singer is, however, set to play Glastonbury next month.
La Roux is due to release their debut album on June 29th.
