“More visibility for queer women in pop has felt very exciting to me” - Romy

In her teens, Romy Madley Croft embarked on her DJ journey as a young Londoner, quickly becoming immersed in Soho’s vibrant gay club scene. Her regular haunt was a basement venue known as The Ghetto. “I was quite happy to be getting let in at that age!” she laughs. “At some point, I was asked by the manager if I wanted to DJ, and I was like, ‘I don’t know how!’” She decided to teach herself: “I burned a bunch of CDs and had so much fun playing really big pop and classic dance anthems. I just loved that I could connect with people without talking to them.”

Around 2006, The Ghetto was a bustling dive known for its 'trashy' alt-pop tunes and affordable drinks. “It had a big impact on me in terms of meeting people that I felt like I could be myself around,” Madley Croft recounts. “I could really explore my sexuality and my identity and find other people to look up to – even though I was very shy. I ended up meeting some of my best friends there, who are still my best friends.”

Reflecting nostalgically after a recent fundraiser gig, she decided to search for The Ghetto, curious about its original location. It turned out the spot had been replaced by the Tottenham Court Road tube station. “I realized that it’s a train station now. It’s long gone,” she notes. As a guitarist, vocalist, producer, and DJ, she has witnessed the closure of many beloved London night spots. “It’s just part of that constant reminder that clubs and bars can be these precious, important social spaces that completely disappear.”

During the late 2000s, Madley Croft fronted the xx, an electro-rock band celebrated for its minimalist, bass-heavy sound, with tracks like ‘Islands’, ‘Crystalised’, and ‘Intro’. The group, including Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith, originated in their secondary school days in south-west London over 20 years ago. All members have since ventured into solo careers. Madley Croft expresses gratitude for ongoing music collaborations and the time apart that helped her discover her individuality.

As ‘Gay Times’ writes, Romy’s current solo work, characterised by joyful pop-dance tracks, contrasts sharply with the xx’s brooding beginnings, yet maintains an inherent connection. Her new project aims to create “uplifting lesbian pop music.” In Mid Air, her debut solo album, she revisits her teenage years, creating the kind of music she wished existed back then. “I wanted to try and create music that would have meant a lot to me then. Because when I was younger, songs about a woman loving another woman were more like … acoustic ballads. Not the most fun or cool songs. And I have always been obsessed with big, anthemic pop music and pop-dance, songs that really bring a room together.”

The album is dedicated to the photographer Vic Lentaigne, Madley Croft’s frequent muse and wife of three years. “Which feels crazy to say! We’ve known each other since I was 19 and she was 20: that’s when we first met,” she says. Their relationship, which began in their youth, didn’t work out initially. They reconnected through Whippets FC, their five-a-side football team, years later.

Madley Croft fondly recalls returning home during a World Cup soccer fever and reuniting with friends who also recaptured their love for the game. “I came home to London and a lot of my friends were getting together to watch it; reminiscing about how we all played football when we were younger and missing that. I was a bit nervous, but my friends were like, ‘You’re joining.’” This serendipitous moment led them back together. Mid Air largely celebrates her love for Lentaigne and the joy of their renewed relationship.

Currently, Madley Croft resides in East Sussex with Lentaigne and their pets: Zola the cat, Mouse the sighthound, and Pacha, an Ibizan rescue named after the famous club. “I just love being able to go for longer walks with our dogs. It’s very peaceful – a really nice contrast to all the time I’ve been spending in clubs and venues. I’ve spent a lot of my life touring and not being able to keep animals. When I met my wife, she already had Mouse and Zola, so it was lovely to be able to have an instant family together in that way. All of them give me this wonderful feeling of rooting and structure.”

Madley Croft emphasises the need for balance, also discussing her current musical inspirations. Among her favorites are MUNA, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, and Billie Eilish, with a special appreciation for more lesbian representation in queer pop music. She’s also been captivated by Adrienne Lenker’s Bright Future for its engaging storytelling.

In the past, she DJed alongside the xx, where her pop selections sometimes surprised audiences. “Because I was playing these big pop songs, and the music that the xx played live was so different, I sometimes had these weird exchanges with people where they’d be like, ‘Is this ironic? Are you taking the piss?’ It threw me off a bit.”

Though naturally introverted, Madley Croft has grown more confident. “When I was touring with the xx I used to crave tailoring,” she explains, describing it as a sort of 'armor' that gave her confidence onstage.

Now in her mid-thirties, she favors “genderless clothes” with “a masculine edge,” and admires designers like Martine Rose. “I really wanted to do the opposite and wear trainers, a t-shirt, and jeans; go on stage as I am in my personal life as a kind of experiment,” she shares, proud of the outcome.