The Fox Who Got The Cream - Hot Press meets Foxes

The last time Foxes spoke to Hot Press, she was surprised to have been recognised in a Dublin bar. Nine months later, nowhere is safe.

“I can’t go to Tesco anymore,” says the artist known to her nearest and dearest as Louisa Rose Allen. “I think that’s the moment you know something’s changed; when you walk into Tesco and it’s all a bit weird.”
To be fair, you wouldn’t imagine the grocery run plays a major part in the 25 year old’s life right now. Thrust into the public eye at February’s Grammy Awards, where ‘Clarity’ – a track made with dance producer Zedd – saw her pick up a gong before she’d even released an album, the arrival of her debut LP sealed her place in the spotlight. It was a significant departure from the tune that brought her fame; as it turns out, that’s no coincidence.
“I made a big decision after ‘Clarity’,” she reflects, “to release the album I’d already done, instead of putting out 12 ‘Claritys’. It would have brought more commercial recognition; lots of people around me thought I should be putting out those bigger, poppier, dance songs. But I’d written an album I wanted to put out. I’m really glad I took that avenue in the end, to step away from ‘Clarity’ and sort of go back to where I felt close to home.”
The result was indeed close to home. Glorious, though a pop record at its core, is an expansive record, with lyrics heavily inspired by Foxes’ personal life. Is baring her soul something that comes easily?
“No, it’s terrible!” she laughs. “I get in studio, write lots of personal stuff, and forget that the world is going to hear it! Sometimes I’ll have an emotional car crash and a song will come of it; you don’t realise you’re going to be playing that song for quite a while. Music is meant to be emotional, though, and it’s meant to be personal. It always comes out the best when it’s like that.”
Of course, it also helps when an army of fans have taken the honesty of the Southampton born artist to heart. Most recently, it was the turn of packed arenas across Europe, as she supported Pharrell on his European tour.
“It was amazing,” she reveals. “He’s extremely talented, but at the same time, lovely and really welcoming. It was really daunting supporting such a massive superstar. We became really close. It was weird. By the end, cos he just felt like a mate.”
The sort of mate who might get a call regarding her second album?
“I wouldn’t rule it out! At the moment, he’s very busy, but it would be nice to do something together. We did talk about it…”
In the meantime, the Southampton-born star is getting down to work herself. She’s recently been in the US, starting work on a follow-up that can’t arrive soon enough.
“I want to put things out as early as possible,” she explains. “I have a big vision for the album. There are definitely things for me to write about, a lot has happened. I don’t actually think I have changed very much. My surroundings have, and quite massively. My family keep me grounded though, so I won’t be singing about swinging from chandeliers and drinking champagne.”
And fittingly, the plans after her Irish show are pretty low-key.
“I’m hiring a cottage in Surrey. I haven’t had any time off this year, so it’ll be nice. I sort of demanded it. ‘I’m going to take my family and have a nice family Christmas! You can’t deny me of that!’”

Foxes plays The Academy, Dublin on December 4