Roisin Murphy

Róisín Marie Murphy, born on 5 July 1973, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and record producer. She first achieved prominence in the 1990s as one half of the pop duo Moloko alongside English musician Mark Brydon. Following the disbandment of Moloko, Murphy launched a solo music career with her 2005 debut album Ruby Blue, created with experimental musician Matthew Herbert. She has since released multiple solo projects spanning electronic, pop, and dance genres.

Murphy was born in Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland. At age 12, she moved with her family to Manchester, England, where she grew interested in 1960s fashion. When her parents divorced three years later, her mother returned to Ireland, but 15-year-old Murphy chose to remain in England independently. After residing with a friend for a year, she moved into a flat supported by Housing Benefit. She was inspired to perform after attending a Sonic Youth concert, briefly joined a post-punk band, and moved to Sheffield at age 19, where she frequented local nightclubs.

In 1994, Murphy met Mark Brydon at a party in Sheffield and formed Moloko. Signed to Echo Records, the duo released their debut album, Do You Like My Tight Sweater?, in 1995. Their second album, I Am Not a Doctor, gained international success through a Boris Dlugosch remix of "Sing It Back." Moloko released Things to Make and Do in 2000, which reached number three on the UK Albums Chart and featured their highest-charting British single, "The Time Is Now." Despite ending their personal relationship, Murphy and Brydon fulfilled contractual obligations by releasing Statues in 2003 before parting ways.

Murphy's debut solo album, Ruby Blue, was released in June 2005 and incorporated everyday object sounds alongside jazz, pop, and electronic styles. In 2006, she signed with EMI Records and released her second solo album, Overpowered, in 2007, supported by singles such as "Overpowered" and "Let Me Know." While touring in Russia to promote the album, she sustained an eye injury that forced her to cancel several tour dates.

Between 2009 and 2014, Murphy engaged in non-album releases and vocal collaborations with artists including Crookers, David Byrne, Fatboy Slim, Mason, and David Morales. In May 2014, she released an Italian-language EP titled Mi Senti. She followed this in 2015 with her third solo album, Hairless Toys, which earned nominations for the Mercury Music Prize and Ireland's Choice Music Prize. In 2016, she released her fourth album, Take Her Up to Monto, named after an Irish folk song.

In 2018, Murphy released four 12-inch singles produced by Maurice Fulton. Her fifth solo album, Róisín Machine, arrived in 2020, followed by her sixth album, Hit Parade, in 2023 after signing with Ninja Tune. Beyond music, Murphy portrayed the blood witch Mercury in the 2022 Netflix series The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself. In 2024, she released Hit Parade Remixed while continuing to tour.