A Rose By Any Other Name Would Not Be Quite As Interesting

By Joe Kavanagh

While the phrase may have origins in the world of theater and acting, the notion of a second act, in terms of one's career, is equally appropriate when applied to the world of music.

While many careers simply fade to black after a brief moment in the sun, some artists do manage this professional reincarnation, and while the formula for doing so often involves a reasonable proportion of luck, there are certain discernable ingredients apparent in many of those who manage to remain in the spotlight beyond their first professional manifestation.

Talent, naturally, is probably the biggest determinant, but tenacity, individuality and sheer chutzpah are often equally as important when it comes to remaining in the public eye after the first wave of flashbulbs has begun to fade.

In the wake of the breakup of Moloko, most would have concurred that producer, Mark Brydon, had a monopoly on the first commodity I just mentioned, but few would have argued against singer, Roisin Murphy, laying claim to all of the rest.

Now on the brink of making a return to centre stage after a two year hiatus, her increasingly diverse body of work and iconic status has arguably made her second act imminently more interesting than her first.

Born and raised in the seaside town of Arklow, County Wicklow, the roots that would eventually see her bloom into one of the most enthusiastically independent women in pop music were entirely evident in her childhood.

Born into a family of strong women, her mother had traveled the country with her own sister, entering beauty contests at a time when such pursuits were far from the norm in the staid Irish countryside, a free-spiritedness which she eventually passed on to her daughter, with the ready acquiescence of a husband who raised his children to be aware of the fact that they only had one life and should use it to chase down every dream they ever had.

It was Murphy's grandmother, however, who was the most instrumental influence on her early life, as a woman whose husband had died at an early age, leaving her to raise a family on her own, while still somehow managing to run three separate businesses.

Her grandmother too was something of a fashion plate, often turned out in a mink coat and leather gloves, sowing the seeds that would eventually make her granddaughter a style icon for fashion houses in later life.

The next formative moment in her life came when her family relocated to Manchester, when she was only 12-years-old, utterly transforming her surroundings and introducing her to a school world where she was often the victim of bullying.

In addition to offering her respite from persecution, trips around the country with her antique dealer mother further reinforced her attachment to style, as she got to dress up in flamboyant costumes from yesteryear, using antiques as props in her fantasy world.

Three years on, when she was finally settling in to her new surrounds, the family decided to return to Arklow, but instead of joining them, she begged her mother to let her remain in Manchester.

Confident in her daughter's strength of character and persuaded by her arguments, she consented, leaving her to live in the family home of a close friend.

By only 16-years-old, Murphy had moved into her own apartment in the city, earning a reputation as a bit of a character, as she attended clubs wearing everything from cat-suits to pantaloons.

Another watershed moment arrived when she decided to move with a boyfriend to the rugged steel city of Sheffield, but when the relationship broke up soon afterwards she soon found herself at a loose end and began enquiring into courses in art colleges.

Fate intervened again, when she attended a local party in 1994, and met producer/musician, Mark Brydon, introducing herself with the now immortalized line: "Do you like my tight sweater? See how it fits my body?"

Intrigued, Brydon took her to his recording studio that night where he got her to repeat the line and asked her if she would be interested in laying down the vocals for a track.

Until this point, her only experience at singing was when her parents had rolled her out as a child at family events to give her rendition of Don't Cry For Me Argentina, but she agreed to give it a go.

What was initially meant to be a one-off collaboration soon became a profession, as the duo formed Moloko, whose soulful, trip-hop debut, Do You Like My Tight Sweater? became an underground hit upon its release in 1995.

Now a couple as well as a musical act, Murphy and Brydon returned three years later with I Am Not A Doctor, which spawned the global smash hit, Sing It Back, a track that appeared on over 100 compilations and saw them in demand across the globe.

Playing to ever increasing crowds, Murphy developed a reputation as one of the most dynamic front women in music, often risking life and limb as she threw herself around the stage with reckless abandon.

Her increasingly zany sense of style (which saw her appear on the album cover dressed in a suit of armor, while milking a cow on a snow-capped peak in the Alps) saw her become a fashion icon, celebrated for her daring and independence.

In fact, the only reason Statues appeared at all was due to the fact that they were obliged to provide another album under the terms of their recording contract, and when it came time to promote the album, Murphy handled all of the publicity.

By the time they had completed all of their touring obligations, the professional relationship had completely broken down and a deflated Murphy returned to the UK to contemplate her fate.

Given Brydon's more accomplished résumé, many were ready to write her musical obituary but, as a contributing songwriter to Moloko, she had put her time in music to good use and was soon in the studio, working with quirky producer Mathew Herbert, who sought to reveal her true essence in the form of a series of EPs that eventually became the album, Ruby Blue.

While still sounding familiar to Moloko enthusiasts, the album's more layered approach nonetheless represented a musical coming out of sorts for Murphy, and scored well with critics around the globe.

Although it failed to set the world alight in a commercial sense, several tracks appeared on Grey's Anatomy, and she went on to secure a deal with Sony Records.

In 2007, she returned with the more commercial, yet equally distinct, Overpowered, a groovy, electronic soul/disco album that featured collaborations with Groove Armada and Bugz In The Attic, which made its way onto many critic's Best of Year lists, in addition to achieving a nomination for Ireland's Choice Music Award and an MTV Europe nomination. Murphy was once again at the forefront of the European music scene.

She recently announced that she will soon return, with a new single titled, Demon Lover, which is tentatively penned in for a September release, with an album to follow later in the year.

That schedule may move back a little as she also revealed that she is currently pregnant with her first child, with partner and sometime collaborator, artist, Simon Henwood.

While the world of entertainment can be fickle indeed, her secure status as a star means that any delay should not prove detrimental to her career.

As a measure of just how lofty her current status in the world of music is, it is worth noting just how big a global news story she generated several weeks back, when quotes attributed to her seemed to suggest that Lady Gaga had ripped off her sense of style, after the pair met several years prior.

In the ensuing brouhaha, Murphy was quick to deny using those exact words, wishing Lady GaGa luck and assuring fans that she is not partial to bitchiness, a contention entirely backed up by her career to this point.

Her anger also stemmed from the fact that the interview from which the quotes were attributed, was to promote the release of a single, done in conjunction with Sinead O'Connor, Alesis Ark, Micachu and others, with all proceeds going to Action Aid, in order to assist women in extreme poverty; a fact that barely made it out on the newswires.

Even so, the publicity has hardly harmed either woman and the fact that it became such a big story should almost be taken as compliment.

Given her talent, character and colorful nature, the media will inevitably be talking about Roisin Murphy for a long time to come.