December 2, 2009 13:57

Lily Allen confirms break from music

Allen says she'll take 'one or two' years off from singing

Photo Gallery: Lily Allen
Photo: Tim Cochrane

Lily Allen has confirmed that she is set to take a break from performing and recording music for "one or two" years while she pursues other projects.

She told BBC Newsbeat that instead of performing after her last scheduled gig on March 7 – with Dizzee Rascal at The O2 in London – she'll turn her attentions to launching "a record label and running a rental clothes store".

In September Allen said she would not be renewing her record contract, although at the time her spokesperson denied that she was quitting music.

Now she has said she will take "one or two years off from recording and performing music".

She said the London gig was "the last thing I've got planned. I'm just going to concentrate on doing some behind the scenes sort of stuff".

The singer went on to say that the record label she is planning to launch will focus on new acts.

"I'm going to get into signing new bands, but at a really early level," Allen explained. "I don't want to compete with other record companies, but I want to support new artists."

Allen also said that she would launch a fashion rental store, called Lucy In Disguise, in London with her sister, Sarah.

"It's about making fashion democratic," she explained. "That's the idea behind it. It's about getting really nice clothes, but letting people rent them for affordable prices so they can go out and feel like a million dollars and it won't cost them a million dollars."

She also confirmed that after stepping down from the illegal downloading debate earlier in the year she had avoided computers completely.

"I've stopped everything, I haven't got a computer and I haven't got a BlackBerry," she said. "I don't do emails or anything now."