Suicide Blonde

Ivy Jacques (born July 14, 1995), better known by her stage name Suicide Blonde is a British singer, songwriter and model. Initially known for her modelling career, which began when she was fourteen, in 2013 she released her debut album Shine To Fade which topped the UK albums chart.

Early Life (1995-2008)
Born in Brighton in 1995, little is known about Jacques' early life, but she was raised by her mother following the death of her father at a young age. She has one paternal half-sister, Poppy Jacques, from a previous marriage. She has claimed she had little interest in fashion before she became a model, but she had developed a keen interest in poetry and had been encouraged by her late father to learn to play the piano.

Modelling Career (2009-Present)
Jacques modelling career began when she was scouted on Brighton beach in 2009 when she was just fourteen. She received widespread coverage when she walked for Alexander McQueen in one of his final shows, and went on to appear on the cover of many international editions of Vogue magazine and fronted a number of high-profile campaigns. As an extension of her modelling work, she filmed a bit-part for the film The Great Gatsby. In 2012, her modelling career began to slow due to a shift in focus to music and a number of issues in her personal life. In 2014 she was announced as the new face of Calvin Klein's fragrance Obsession.

Music Career (2012-Present)
Jacques had learned to play the piano from her mother at a young age and had always enjoyed writing poetry, but did not consider a career in music until an ex-boyfriend complimented her singing voice. In early 2-012 she signed to a minor record lavel who teamed her with a band. Jacques came up with the name Suicide Blonde, but it was reportedly the only thing she and the group were able to agree on. Artistic differences within the group caused them to split and they were dropped from their contract. Despite this, Jacques retained the stagename Suicide Blonde which she claims reflects her thematic focus on beauty and fatalism.

Shows she played that year attracted the attention of Liam Howe, producer for Ellie Goulding and Marina and the Diamonds, who agreed to produce a record with her. She was involved in a motor accident weeks before recording was supposed to start, which killed her boyfriend of the time instantly. Though she cancelled numerous engagements for fashion work in the time period afterwards, she went ahead with the recording sessions, remembering that it was him who had encouraged her to follow music in the first place. The event would have a major influence on the outcome of the sessions.

Shine To Fade (2013-2014)
Eventually the album was completed and shopped to a number of labels as Suicide Blonde prepared to release her first single I'd Rather Be Beautiful. She was signed to Blacklight Records and the single became a surprise success upon its release in February of 2013, charting at #4 on the singles chart and #3 on the downloads chart. The release also earned her a nomination at the urapopstar awards for Critics Choice.

The album Shine To Fade was released on April 1, and accompanied by the release of a download only single On The Bright Side. The album and download single debuted at the top of their respective charts, and critical reaction towards the record was mixed to positive. A second official single, Seven Card Stud was released, although budget constraints caused the video, featuring Paulo Araujo and Benjamin McAllister to be scrapped. The single charted at #6. A third single, That Fateful Fall was released during the winter of 2013 and became Suicide Blonde's second single to chart at #4.

Albums
2013: Shine To Fade (#1)