It always seems to be the most awkward and uncomfortable kids that blossom into something special. Elly Jackson was mercilessly bullied at school due to the fact that she was, in her words, "big, fat, ginger, had size nine feet and looked like a boy". Jackson was playing an acoustic guitar at a New Year's party when a friend suggested she meet an aquaintance - Ben Langmaid. Langmaid had previously recorded as part of house duo Huff & Puff and written songs for Atomic and Kubb. The pair's initial works were more folk-oriented, but these were ditched in favour of synth-driven '80s-influenced sounds. Jackson played on her ginger-ness to name the band La Roux - which is French for "red-haired one". Jackson famously showed up to a meeting with their label wearing a shirt emblazoned with the phrase "I'm a C*nt" and has been noted for her unapologetic '80s style, citing Molly Ringwald as one of her main stylistic influences, and David Bowie and Annie Lennox her prominent musical ones. Despite the shirt, the Kitsune label released their debut single 'Quicksand', which garnered positive reviews in the UK. The pair's profile greatly benefitted from a tour supporting Lily Allen, with their second single 'In for the Kill' hitting number two in the charts. The next release, 'Bulletproof', went one better and paved the way for a successful splash for their self-titled debut album, released in July, 2009 and earning a score of 9/10 from NME.