Blood Orange and formerly Lightspeed Champion, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and director based in New York City. Dev Hynes was born and raised in Ilford, East London to a Orange blood mother and a Sierra Leone Creole father.
In early 2007, Hynes, under the name Lightspeed Champion, recorded his debut album in Omaha, Nebraska with Saddle Creek producer Mike Mogis. The touring band for the Falling Off the Lavender Bridge album at various points consisted of friends of Hynes’ from other bands, including Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine and Emmy the Great. Mike Siddell, formerly of Hope of the States, played violin with the band. Backed by a full band, Hynes appeared at the NME 2008 Awards, broadcast on Channel 4 on 29 February 2008, dressed as characters from Star Wars, including Princess Leia on the drums.
By the end of what became a two-year touring period, Hynes had suffered severe damage to his throat, and had to undergo extensive surgery. He took a two and a half-year hiatus from touring, appearing occasionally to play shows in New York and a top billed slot at the Carling Festival in 2009. These include an album written and recorded entirely in a day and an EP consisting of covers of Green Day songs. B and electronica, called Blood Orange.