While Duran Duran was on a mostly amicable hiatus in 1985, its members explored a few side projects. According to The Los Angeles Times, bassist John Taylor and guitarist Andy Taylor were busy recording music with their funky hard rock band Power Station, leaving the rest of Duran Duran bored and itching to make music. To scratch that itch, Le Bon, along with Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor and keyboardist Nick Rhodes, formed their own band: Arcadia.
Le Bon described Arcadia to the Los Angeles Times as, "looser, less-structured, and more moody and atmospheric" than Duran Duran's music. He added, "Some things on it are rather dark and esoteric and done in a slower tempo, with jazz touches and Spanish touches here and there. I'm singing a bit lower, too."
Arcadia never toured and only released one album, 1985's "So Red the Rose," which was recorded in Paris and featured contributions by the likes of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Sting. However, the band did manage to produce the groovy hit single "Election Day." Le Bon told Stereogum that making the record was a great time and that they invited anyone they could to collaborate, saying of the experience: "God, when I think about it, it was extraordinary."
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