Should've Been Could've Been

> A great video of Roisin/Moloko performing Should've Been Could've Been on MTV Europe back in 1998. The original version of the song appears on I Am Not a Doctor, Moloko's second album.

Share Roisin with your friends!

Roisin's label EMI has launched a unique promotional campaign titled "Give the Gift of Roisin Murphy".

Click here to take part and share Roisin with your friends.

Directing & Styling the YKMB video

Promo News has interviewed director Jaron Albertin & stylist Claire Edmondson about making the You Know Me Better video. Some extracts:

Jaron Albertin
Shot at an ordinary suburban home in Snaresbrook, with a considerable amount of retro features and décor, the house is Roisin's playground in the video, but it also confines her. There's a real sense of claustrophobia. "We chose the house because we were looking for something normal, but which added something to it," says Jaron. "I guess it has an American Fifties feel but its not – there's a bit of modern British in there too."

Claire Edmondson
"Roisin is really inspiring, she brings so much to the table. Usually at a fitting you pull out things and everyone gets really scared. But I'd show Roisin something and she'd say 'yeah its amazing, and what about this?' She was embracing everything I had and wanting to push it further."

Read the full interviews here.

ElectroQueer interview

Music website ElectroQueer had a little interview with Ms Murphy:

So I got to chat with the current reigning queen of electronica Róisín Muphy and needless to say, I was pretty excited. In this interview with EQ, Róisín talks about her recent busking experience, who she would like to get on her "casting couch" and some of the interesting items in her closet. Personally, I'm thrilled to find out that she kept the gorgeous mirrored dress from the "Sing It Back" video. Enjoy EQs.

EQ: Hello Róisín - Welcome to EQ. Our first question is something that we've always wondered about since you started promoting "Overpowered". What reactions did you get from the on-lookers when you did your photo shoots wearing your outrageously fabulous costumes?!
Róisín Murphy: Actually, I was quite surprised how little the people of London seemed to react, in London I guess they have seen it all before. Or maybe they were just scared and decided to keep out of harms way, which is just as well because had I fallen on anybody in that Victor & Rolf dress I could have killed them!

Having said that, you toned it down a little when you went on a busking adventure in London! How was that actually? Did people recognize you or did they think "Oh just another busker on the street?".
I think most of the crowd that gathered did realise it was me, and for a busker I was quite dressed up. Still, I reckon the wide-eyed little girls in the crowd just liked it not knowing who or what I was.

Would you go busking again?
Possibly, It was a nice experience and many people said they were very touched by it, plus I made £65 in 15 minutes, you do the sums!

So tell us about your latest single "You Know Me Better". What's the message behind this track?
If you love someone you should tell them, you have nothing to lose. "I believe the friendship can survive, though maybe it wont if we do or we don’t".

Did you have fun filming the new video as well? We really like it how you play multiple "high-fashioned bored-ladies-at-home" in the clip. What was the inspiration behind the video?
Inspiration came directly from Cindy Sherman, who I have loved since I was a teenager. It was fun, a very organic process on the day, with nobody really knowing what I was going to come out of my dressing room "as" next.

Forgive us for being a bit humorous - but we are rather fond of your head sculpture couture – so we ask your advice on how to customise the baker boy's hat we have sitting on the top of the fridge gathering dust...
Feathers and jewels!

One of the standout tracks on your album is your next single "Movie Star". If you were going to make a movie like you suggest in the song, who would you want to see on your casting couch?
Divine plus David Beckham!

Now that is a casting couch we'd like to see too! We also heard somewhere that you have been known to visit car boot sales. Is that true? And if it is - what have you found to be your most prized purchase from a car boot?
I spent my teenage years dressed from car boot sales, charity shops and jumble sales. I loved sixties clothes, most of which I have lost along the way but I still have one or two pieces like a leopard fur coat that I haven’t worn since Kate Moss nailed that look...

Let's talk about the album some more. Are you pleased at how it turned out in the end? Which tracks are you most fond of?
I am very pleased with it, it was a whole new challenge for me working with lots of people on one record and I am proud to have pulled it off. I think "Overpowered", the title track, is my fave!

How is it different from your last album "Ruby Blue"?
Really different. Nobody in this whole universe works like Mathew Herbert.

Do you still play old school Moloko tracks at parties? Do you still have that fabulous dress made of little tiny mirrors in the "Sing It Back" video or did it sell for millons on eBay?
I don’t play my own music at parties really, although I have been known to sing the odd one. Yes I still have that dress, I'm keeping it for my daughter to play dress up with!

Do you ever see yourself departing from electronic-based music? Maybe doing something completely different like Goldfrapp just did?
I would never say never, could do an Irish record or something a bit rock?? Who knows.

How was it playing the Fashion Rocks show in London recently with Gucci. That was the second time you've done the Fashion Rocks show wasn't it?
Yea, twice and both times for strong ladies, Vivienne Westwood and Frida Giannini and I adore them both. I had a ball, if anyone call pull that sort of thing off, it’s me - for obvious reasons!

When you started making music, did you think fashion was going to play such a huge part in your videos and promo?
I have always loved dressing up, in the mid-nineties I was very out of place for doing so, but that didn’t stop me!

Well thanks Róisín for chatting with us. Any parting words for the EQ readers?
Stay complicated people!

And so we shall!

Roisin out in London again...

The lady knows how to paint the town red - a picture of Roisin attending a party organised by Wonderland magazine in Grosvenor House.

Roisin at Circus

A picture & video of Roisin spinning records at Circus in the Soho Revue Bar on Friday. There are some more pictures here.

Thanks to Charile Chip for sharing this!

Past party times

Some pictures of Roisin (& Mika on the first one) at Jodie Harsh's birthday party in London last month - courtesy of DirtyDirtyDancing.

"All fluffy and nice"

A very interesting interview with Roisin from bodytonicmusic.com:

Roisin Murphy is to many the most versatile and charismatic female performer around, especially since Madonna hung up her sash and decided to turn into a country gentleman’s wife. She also has an accent that can’t decide whether it wants to be Irish, Manc or Cockney. And on top of that people can’t make up their minds which to pay more attention to: the music she’s making or the clothes she’s wearing. She smokes, she swears and she admits that she will quite possibly do your head in. I think we're in love.

Do you ever have a moment before you walk out the door when you just think, what the fuck am I wearing? Yeah, I do. It actually happened the other day. I played the Album Chart Show and they have all sorts of different bands, but it's mostly indie bands, and I walked out in this bright blue mini dress that is like half of a really old 1700s ball gown and I kind of got “What the fucking hell is she wearing? She's doing my head in,” reaction. But then that's good because you get a reaction and then when you get over that reaction and they get to see that I'm a real person as well and I've got all this sort of humour with the way that I do it. But in the end, with fashion, you are saying more, you're not saying less, you are communicating more with people.

Were you happy to be compared to Robbie Williams? Yeah, in the sense that it was done as a performer when they saw me play live and the reaction the audience had toward me, yeah. I don't think I'd ever make records like Robbie does, I think I've got a better voice to be honest as well but that's just me. I think he's a fantastic performer so to be compared to that and that kind of atmosphere in one of my gigs is a good thing I think.

Do you think collaborating with someone as experimental as Matthew Herbert was a good idea for your first solo album? Do you regret not being a little more commercial? It’s just the way it worked. I mean, I didn't plan on making the record with Matthew the way that I planned making this record. I certainly wasn't ready to be that focused about making music. Coming straight out of Moloko, I'd always worked and produced with just one guy so it seemed like a natural thing to do that again. In a way, Ruby Blue was made in a much more similar way to a Moloko record than this one. I started working with Matthew the day after Brixton Academy, which was the last Moloko show, and just carried on until I had an album. It didn't involve the label. I did what I always did which was not involve the label, we did it in Sheffield, we did it all ourselves, we produced it and mixed it and engineered it all ourselves. When I delivered the record to Echo I think that was when I realised I'd gone solo because they said weird things to me. They were like “This is the wrong record.” I was like, “Oh, I left the right one outside. Jesus, I must have left it in the car.” It was weird to have that said to me to be honest with you as I am honestly exceptionally proud of that record and I think it was the perfect record for that time of my life. It set an agenda, where I could do whatever I fucking liked after Moloko.

Is there anyone you'd like to collaborate with? I think personally I haven’t started to think about that in a big way but I would imagine that that’s the way it will work for the next record. I’m only beginning to think about that. I'll probably work with someone I worked with before to begin with and see where that takes me. But I always do it like that, I always feel it out. Seiji is the first person I worked with on this album, he had done mixes and stuff for me in the past and I knew Seiji and was comfortable and intimate enough with him to start the process with him. The songs that I did with Seiji, although they may not be the most glitzy disco songs on the record, they have set the tone for the record. I think they are the backbone of the album, songs like Overpowered, Footprints, Dear Miami – they really have the tone of the record down before I moved on to work with other people, so I think I'll try and work that tone out naturally and then move forward maybe to new people and beyond for the next record.

Do you have a ritual before you go on stage? The whole ritual takes about two-hours and it’s really about getting dressed, doing hair and putting make-up on and warming up your vocals. But I don’t do it like la la la la la. I put on disco music and sing along to, that warms me up. I was mortified recently because there was some picture taken of me through a window whilst I was getting warmed up to go on stage and I was dancing on my own like a lunatic and someone had a long lens and shot me and put it on the internet. ‘Mad Murphy’ strikes again.

What was going through your mind when you were singing Ramalama? Pure joy. It started out with us saying when we were playing gigs “Its Ramalama in there” in terms of it being rammed, and it turned into Ramalama and I just thought Ramalama Bang Bang and then I thought Ramalama bang bang flash bang big bang bing bong, ding dong dum dum d’ dum dum. Just loving it, just bouncing along across the music like that and I was writing the song and we put the song down, and Matthew still didn’t want to do it, still didn’t want to finish it for the record and I had to bully him in to finishing it but it’s one of the best ones on there I think.

It’s sometimes hard to figure out if you are more passionate about fashion or music. Do either of them stand out for you or do you think they are linked? They don't link really – I'm really the missing link between the two I suppose. I don't know that many people in music who are that arsed about fashion at all. But I love dressing up and I love a bit of fantasy and I'm a really expressive performer and I think I use the clothes as a tool to perform with and as soon as they stop expressing something true, as soon as it becomes a mask, I'm going to try and throw it away, I don't really want to hide behind the clothes or anything. They really are to serve the performance and express more to the audience, not less.

Did it start as a mask? No, but it can get out of hand. I mean recently it's been ridiculous – the big numbers. I've done them and then you think, shit, I've got to do another TV appearance and you have to live up to the last one so the shoulders get wider and wider and wider. So I have to keep an eye on it if you like.

Does it annoy you that people call you a nutter? I would say that is the best kind of criticism to hear. The worst is really detailed criticism of your music or what went wrong in the show or why they didn't like the lights or something like that. The best, the very best, review of me was on a DJ sheet, you get the sheets back with all the DJ reactions when you put out a 12" and one DJ just wrote 'she does my head in' and that was it and I just thought, it's a very English phrase, but I just thought that is actually spot on, that's what any criticism of me is always about, that's just the root of it. I do some people’s heads in and others people’s heads I make all fluffy and nice.

Brisbane pictures

These pictures of Roisin at The Tivoli in Brisbane are by Almaryse - check out her band Maiden Speech and blog.

Live news

The following European concert/festival dates have recently been confirmed:

23/05: B1 - Moscow, Russia
30/05: Den Atelier - Luxembourg, Luxembourg
19/06: Efes Pilsen One Love Festival - Istanbul, Turkey
01-03/08: Big Chill - Eastnor Castle Deer Park, UK
08-10/08: Bloom festival - Cheltenham, UK
30/08: Winterthur Musikfestwochen - Winterthur, Switzerland

Virgin France interview

A two part interview with Roisin from September last year.


> Part 01


> Part 02

Roisin the DJ

Are you in London tonight? Then make sure to go to Jodie Harsh's Circus night in the Soho Revue Bar, where Roisin will be the guest dj.

Roisin Murphy USA & Canada petition

Many Canadian and stateside fans of Roisin Murphy are hoping she will tour North America in the near future. But is it ever going to happen?

Let's all encourage Roisin to cross the Atlantic by signing the Roisin Murphy USA & Canada petition!

Update: By Canadian demand, I have now changed it to the USA & Canada petition.

Warm Leatherette

A few days ago Roisin attended the 'Flashback of a Fool' première in London, wearing some warm leatherette - or could it be real leather?

Roisin talks Grace

In the current edition of Q, which features Madonna on the cover, Roisin discusses her idol Grace Jones. Check out the article below...

Oyster Vision interview

Oyster Vision interviews Roisin Murphy.

Roisin at the V Festival

Fellow blogger and blog reader Almaryse sent me these great pictures of Roisin performing at the Gold Coast V Festival.

Almaryse also took some amazing pictures of Roisin's show in The Tivoli in Brisbane, which I'll soon be sharing with you. In the meantime you can visit Almaryse's blog at vfestbeta.com.

You may also want to check out her music at myspace.com/maidenspeech. It's pretty neat!

A very special message

Roisin has posted a very special message for her fans on her official forum:

Hey guys,
Just wanted to drop you a line to say I will never let you down. Have so much buzzing around my head right now, I know things might have been better for the single, all down to radio in my own country I’m afraid and that effects everything. Yet still, I feel strangely inspired. Gonna start writing immanently and I really feel I will do my best work yet. Look I’ve never been easy to categorise and category makes this industry go round. But I am seeping in bit by bit, I have some exciting things goin on in the background that I can’t share right now but believe me I aint out of the game yet. Keep up your support, as it means so much and try to be positive. I never had friends in high places, but I have you, and you have me. Until the end.

Interior decorating a la Murphy

A sneak peak in Roisin's London home...


1. DINNER TABLE AND CHAIRS “These are made of Danish rosewood. The design of the table is really clever in that it folds down into a perfect circle.”

2. CUSHIONS “These are linen and velvet. My mother-in-law made them for me. She has a textile company that makes the most beautiful curtains.”

3. BRASS MICE “My mice were from a charity shop – I love their big ears and ’60s feel.”

4. RUG “This is a silk Persian rug which I’ve had for about seven years. It cost £3,000 – the first really expensive thing I bought for my home.”

5. DOLL “She belongs to Simon and is a gothic cartoon character.”

6. PRINTS “My uncle took this photo of jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie. The oil painting is by the artist Derek Thomas and was a birthday present from my boyfriend.”

Some of Roisin's style tips:
* With modernist furniture, opt for warm, organic pieces made in wood to avoid the room looking too stark.
* Mix traditional pieces, such as a Persian rug, with contemporary designs.
* Plan bookshelves carefully. Count the number and size of your books before you put them up.

Roisin on chart success

After You Know Me Better failed to make the UK top 40, Roisin has spoken to the Daily Star newspaper about the importance of chart success:

ROISIN Murphy is bowing to commercial pressure to draw more listeners in to ace her slinky dance record, Overpowered.

Radio has been slow to champion the 34-year-old’s tunes – which baffles me.

Uncomplaining Roisin told me: “The charts are important to me and I think it will happen as more people are finding the record.

“The next single Movie Star is the most radio-friendly I’ve made – so fingers crossed.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and don’t feel I’m one of the new wave of female singer-songwriters.

“In fact, I don’t even feel like I’m a bird when I’m writing.

“If it came to writing ‘girls’ music’ – I’d be stumped.”

More from MixMag

Roisin interviewed backstage at the MixMag cover shoot.

MixMag 25 Years shoot

Watch this video to see Roisin being photographed for the 25th birthday edition of MixMag.

The video reveals that Roisin will feature on the front part of the cover spread:

Some rare pictures

Two rare pictures of Roisin wearing Bruno Pieters - from 2004.

MTV Italia interview - 2005

A nice interview with Roisin from the Ruby Blue era...


> Part One


> Part Two

iTunes Live download

Four tracks from Roisin's session for iTunes Live are now available to download on iTunes:

- Primitive
- You Know Me Better
- Let Me Know
- Overpowered

Make sure to download these songs! Though it puzzles me why Movie Star, Ramalama (Bang Bang) and Scarlet Ribbons are not available, you won't be disappointed by the lovely acoustic performance.

> Click here to check out my full review of Roisin's session on iTunes Live.

Sleevage on Overpowered art work

Music cover art blog Sleevage has posted an article about the Overpowered album and single art work.

Check it out here.

Melbourne review

There's a great review of Roisin's Melbourne gig on the site Adem with an E. The author talks about kissing Roisin on the cheek: "so many levels of ace".

Click here to check out the review.

Roisin the style icon

When Vogue Australia asked Mira Vukovic, the brainchild behind cult fashion brand Mad Cortes, about her style icons, she mentioned Tilda Swinton and Roisin Murphy:

"I love Roisin Murphy for her eccentric view of fashion and effortless but strong sense of style."

Bye Bye Australia

Roisin performing at the V Festival in Perth last night - courtesy of antzpantz.

Last night was the final date of Roisin's long awaited Australian tour. Anyone who's seen her live in the past week would agree that she was in top form, especially at the club dates in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

What did Roisin have to say herself about the shows? Here's what she told the audience in The Metro in Sydney: "We've tried to be environmentally friendly – and no one got hurt in the making of this show."

Isn't that nice?

O2 Wireless Festival

On Thursday the 3rd of July Roisin Murphy will perform at the O2 Wireless Festival, which takes place in London's Hyde Park.

Click here for more information & tickets.

Roisin on Freshly Squeezed

Last week Roisin was interviewed on the Channel 4 show Freshy Squeezed. She also gave an acoustic performance of You Know Me Better.

The show was aired at seven in the morning, so for those early birds who've missed it, here are the videos:


> Interview


> You Know Me Better

V Festival Melbourne

A nice shot of Roisin onstage at the V Festival in Melbourne yesterday, courtesy of k_jacko.

YKMB on the charts

Roisin's new single You Know Me Better entered the UK singles chart at number 47 this week.

YKMB review

Yahoo! Music gives You Know Me Better 9 out of 10 stars but reckons it's time for Roisin to get some of that all important tabloid press:

What exactly does Roisin Murphy have to do to sell records in this country? She's got one of the most insinuating voices in music, as much style in each publicity shot as Kylie Minogue and her stylist/sidekick William Baker have mustered in a decade and she's a fascinating pop persona: part glamour puss, part ice queen and part bona fide eccentric. She's even got round to writing some fantastic tunes.

Just listen to "You Know Me Better", which pulls off the trick of sounding modern and off kilter, yet undeniably, unstoppably poppy. Over a fat squelchy rhythm and feverish panting, Murphy delivers a typically original vocal, half whipped cream and half broken glass, before topping the whole concoction off with a chorus that infects your brain like meningitis. If this one doesn't get the UK to take notice, there's nothing for it, Roisin: time to grab yourself a footballer or an interesting drug addiction.

Last night at The Metro

Roisin took the stage of The Metro in Sydney last night, sporting a brand new outfit.

- Picture courtesy of ChrisIsTheWord.

YKMB - styling the video

Rock and pop fashion blog The Look spoke to Claire Edmondson about styling the Cindy Sherman inspired video for You Know Me Better.

Edmonson told The Look that after working with Scott King on her previous two videos, Roisin wanted "to do something different - a little bit softer, more feminine".

"Roisin usually does most of her own styling," says Edmondson, "but because there were so many different looks required there was no way she’s got time to organize it all".

Click here to read the full interview.

Backstage in Sydney

Some pictures of Roisin backstage at the V Festival in Sydney, Australia.

YKMB - making of the video