The Red Bulletin May 2020 (UK)

LA ROUX
Listen
to your
heart
Singer Elly Jackson has
overcome personal and
professional strife to make
a blazing comeback. Here’s
her heartbreak playlist
Eleven years ago, La Roux ruled
the airwaves with synth-pop hits
including Bulletproof or In It For
The Kill. But then London-born
singer Elly Jackson’s life took
a series of unexpected turns
including near-bankruptcy, a split
with songwriting partner Ben
Langmaid and then her record
label, and relationship problems
that piled on mental stresses and
left her unable to make music.
Now, she’s making a comeback
with a new (third) La Roux album,
Supervision – a “soundtrack to an
optimistic future” – which provided
a source of creative therapy for
Jackson following those dark days.
And when coping with heartache,
these are her go-to songs…
Supervision is out now; laroux.co.uk
Ken Boothe
Set Me Free (1968)
Carly Simon
Why (1982)
Depeche Mode
New Life (1981)
Gerry Rafferty
Right Down The Line (1978)
ANDREW WHITTON MARCEL ANDERS
“I love every version of this
song [better known as You
Keep Me Hangin’ On]. It’s
been covered so many times,
including the [1986] one by
Kim Wilde. But I love reggae,
and this is a really good reggae
cover of it. Obviously it’s called
Set Me Free, so I think it’s
fitting if you’re trying to get
over someone. Have I tried that
myself? Yeah, loads of times.”
“This song is much better than
[Simon’s 1972 hit] You’re So
Vain. I’ve never felt that negative
about the people I’m trying to
get over. I’m like, ‘I love you.
How do I stop thinking about
you?’ But never, ‘Fuck you,
bitch!’ It’s more like, ‘I think
about you all the time, and now
I’m thinking of songs that make
me think about you even more.’
I usually end up with this one.”
“This is a good one if you’re
trying to move past that
feeling. I wish it was on my
album. Fucking great song.
Depeche Mode were the main
inspiration on my first album
[2009’s La Roux]. Without
[their 1981 debut] Speak &
Spell, I don’t know if there’d be
La Roux in the same way. And
I still love that record. I think
it’s incredible, so uplifting.”
“My favourite song of all time.
It’s such a shame people only
know [Rafferty’s 1978 hit]
Baker Street. They’re like, ‘It’s
on the radio all the time, and
it’s annoying because there’s
that fucking saxophone solo
again and again.’ But there’s
so much more to him. Songs
like these are my best friends
– they’ve helped me through
so many difficult times.”
THE RED BULLETIN 17