A Rose Of Many Colors

By Joe Kavanagh

Most of those who succeed in finding a career in music get there as the result of hard graft and an unyielding desire to achieve their dream, regardless of setbacks or dissuasion. Not so for Róisín (pronounced: Ro-sheen) Murphy, whose profession in music came as the result of a chat-up line, delivered by her at a party over a decade ago. Since then, a combination of talent, uniqueness and a personality that has seen her famously described as 'a bit of a nutter', have seen her become somewhat of an underground icon and a joyous relief from the anodyne starlets that presently populate the world of music. Now she stands ready to confirm her status as one of the most intriguing women in music with her second solo album, which has already pricked up the ears of critics, despite the fact that it will not be released until September.

Normal life was really only ever a concept for Róisín Murphy. Raised in the coastal Irish town of Arklow, County Wicklow, her family emigrated to Manchester when she was 12-years-old. Singled out at school for her Irish accent (long before such a thing was considered an asset), flaming red hair and love of bands such as Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine, she cherished her newfound role as an outsider. Instead of spending her free time mingling with her school pals, she preferred to travel the country with her antique dealer mother, instilling in her a love of all things quirky that would eventually become the cornerstone of her public persona. When she was 16-years-old, her family decided to return to Arklow, but after some vigorous discussion, they allowed their daughter to stay on in a rented apartment, such was her determination and maturity. She would later recall: 'I was happy and the strongest I've ever been, and decided my mother didn't have the strength to take care of me. So I took care of myself.'

Immersing herself in the burgeoning dance music scene, Murphy became a fixture on the club circuit, known for her sense of humor, exotic looks and outrageous fashion sense. Drifting along without any real clue of what career she would pursue, she attended a party in Sheffield in 1994, where partygoer, Mark Brydon, caught her eye. In her typically confident manner she approached him with the now legendary pickup line: 'Do you like my tight sweater? See how it fits my body.' The line was enough to snare a bemused Brydon, who had worked as a producer with such names as Eric B and Rakim and now saw something in this coquettish lady that he could work with.

Despite the fact that she had never sung in public or harbored any real ambition to become a singer, Brydon persuaded her to lay down some vocal tracks for him and soon discovered that he had found the perfect muse for his work with electronic music. Choosing the name Moloko (after the narcotic drink in Anthony Burgess' Clockwork Orange), the pair released their debut album, inevitably titled, Do You Like My Tight Sweater? in 1995, which went on to sell over 250,000 copies worldwide and saw the band tour both Europe and the US. In 1998, they returned with I Am Not A Doctor, which spawned the monster hit, which topped charts all over the world and appeared on over 100 compilation albums. Far from being the shrinking violet that you might expect from a relative newcomer to music, Murphy became the focal point of the band through her smoky, jazz-like vocals and immensely energetic live performances, where she was capable of doing almost anything on stage, lost entirely in the music, dressed in everything from catsuits to gypsy clobber to space age attire.

By 2000 the band released follow-up, Things To Make And Do, with another global hit in the form of The Time Is Now, and Moloko put in a series of stunning performances at the summer festivals, where their so-called 'wonky-house music' and intense, wacky performances saw them become on of the biggest groups in global dance music. All was not well behind the scenes, however, as Brydon and Murphy's relationship began to hit the rocks leading to their break-up in early 2003.

Awkwardly though, the pair was contracted to deliver one more album and tour by their label, so Moloko's swansong, Statues, appeared later in the year. The following tour proved immensely difficult for both, particularly Brydon, who - as the dumped party - retreated from the public eye beyond stage performances, leaving all the media work to Murphy. Of the end she says: 'We left it on good terms after a very successful tour. We shook hands, said, 'See you later,' and haven't spoken since. I don't know if we will or we won't reunite. Myself, I don't not want to.'

When they returned from the tour, Murphy bolted to London, where she took stock of her life as a 28-year-old, without her lover/musical partner, but it was not long before her phone began to ring with offers of work. She sang on a track by Handsome Boy Modeling School and laid down the vocal on Never Enough, by producer, Boris Dlugosch, which represented yet another global hit. Soon she also began working with acclaimed producer, Matthew Herbert, leading to the release of her first solo album: Ruby Blue. Although it never scaled the commercial heights of her work with Moloko, the album was well received by critics on both sides of the pond and firmly silenced all those that claimed Brydon was the senior partner in the songwriting team. Several tracks from the album were used by TV show, Grey's Anatomy, with the title track even appearing on the show's soundtrack.

As a measure of the respect she has accumulated in the music world, Murphy was snapped up by EMI last summer and has since spent time working on her eagerly anticipated follow-up. Collaborating with producers such as Cathy Dennis, Richard X and the white-hot Calvin Harris (who described her as 'a bit mental'), she has put together an album featuring a sound that has been referred to as 'Goldfrapp meets Annie meets Grace Jones.' Lead single, Overpowered, hits shelves next week with another titled, Let Me Know, due out in September. The album, also titled

Overpowered, hits shelves in October and many of those in the know are saying that it will be an immediate contender for album of the year upon its release. One thing's for sure: with Róisín Murphy involved, there is little chance of it being bland.