60 Seconds interview

This is a 60 Seconds interview with Roisin from UK newspaper Metro:

Singer Roisin Murphy fronted electro act Moloko, scoring hits with Sing It Back and The Time Is Now. She went solo in 2005 with her quirky debut album, Ruby Blue, and is currently promoting her latest album Overpowered. For the campaign, she is photographed wearing bizarre outfits in humdrum locations. Murphy's new single, Let Me Know, is out today.

You’ve worn some weird outfits to promote your latest album. Any favourites?
The most unusual one was for the Overpowered video. It had a lighting rig built into the dress, which was like a big sail – it kept catching the wind and dragging me over. I like outfits that are dangerous. Doing the ‘running man’ on stage wearing high heels is dangerous. I slipped over on some brandy on stage in Australia and broke my arm. I didn’t realise I’d broken it until I got off stage because I was pumped full of adrenaline.

Who designed the Overpowered dress?
Viktor & Rolf. I thought, years ago, how great it would be to be able to take a lighting rig around with you, because good lighting is better than a facelift. This rig was attached to my body by a steel brace on the inside of the dress and shot up over my head on scaffolding.

You did a photo shoot up a mountain, wearing a suit of armour, milking a cow. Is that the weirdest one?
That was odd but this one was pretty weird too. There’s a scene in the Overpowered video where I was wearing a huge Gareth Pugh dress on a rough high street after the clubs kicked out on a Friday night. It was dangerous but I got such a buzz out of it. The thing that amazed me with all the shoots was how little attention I got.

What is your favourite item of clothing?
I have a lot of vintage Yves St Laurent and a beautiful vintage Zandra Rhodes dress. It sounds awful but it’s amazing – it’s tiers of turquoise frill in a column with a black neck. It’s gorgeous.

Kanye West phoned to ask who styled your video. How would you make him over?
I’d tell him it’s all about shoulder pads. And it is. Believe me, Murphy is always right about these thing

Do you enjoy playing festivals?
Yes, they’re great. The best one I did was in Serbia. It was in an old fort on top of a hill with tunnels underneath it. The people in Eastern Europe are completely gorgeous. People are more alive when they live in a very politicised environment. They think a great deal and don’t take life for granted; they’ve seen a lot of change. Moloko and myself as a solo artiste are pretty massive in Eastern Europe. It’s a huge compliment. All the records are pirated, so there are no record companies in that area. There’s no point. It means that the success I have there is down to people power and not marketing campaigns.

Are you under pressure to have a commercial hit with this record?
I felt more pressure with Ruby Blue, my last record, but that was never going to sell millions because it was quite weird. With my current label, if I say I want an outfit or a particular photographer or director, I’ll get it, so I don’t feel any pressure. My current label saw me play in Prague and signed me because they thought I was like Robbie Williams. I had the audience in the palm of my hand. They saw that I was a great performer and that I work hard.

If you had as much money as Robbie what would you do with it?
I got a record deal when I was 18 so I’ve always had some money. I’ve never needed an awful lot of money and have never worried about having too little – I’m very lucky. I’ve never hankered after a speedboat. I was on one once from Capri to Naples and it bounced about so much I thought I’d be thrown out any second. That didn’t excite me.

Who is your favourite actor?
I love Gene Hackman, he’s my favourite. The French Connection is one of my favourite films and I love The Royal Tenenbaums, he reminds me of my dad in that; deeply charismatic and flawed.