Lust for Life
Róisín Murphy delves deeper into her two passions
by Daryoush Haj-Najafi/photography Dancian
Excerpts from the Zoo Magazine interview:
[...]
Daryoush Haj-Najafi: What’s the current challenge? The new track, Orally Fixated, is high-energy, pounding 80s-style song writing and pop re-imagined for the 21st century.
Róisín Murphy: The new record is dirtier, more straightforward, more in your face. That’s more challenging than being avant-garde to me. Having come from a point where I couldn't even sing and hadn't a clue, every single record has been a massive leap in understanding - just to get through it, that's what I'm addicted to. It's like being an adrenalin junkie.
This new record is meant to be more urban sounding, drawing on the UK’s breed of funky house. British black music is starting to come together now and have its own identity outside of American terms. I am a performer and ironically, it took me a long time to realize that. At this point, I'm really enjoying being free to make the shows and put the clothes together in a way I want.
[...]
DHN: You do seem to have this weird affect on people: you’re really famous and some sort of fashion icon.
RM: A fashion icon with a massive belly! I'm not at all famous! I'm not at all!
[...]
DHN: And you’re super famous in Belgium and Finland.
RM: Yeah, where they’re all manically-depressed. [laughs] I love the Belgians; they are genius. My favorite artist of all time is Rubens. I saw Rubens’ The Union of Earth and Water in St. Petersburg the other day. It’s the most perfect picture of a man and woman you’ve ever seen in your life. The characters are so real, it perfectly encapsulates the most realistic, yet romantic notions of what a relationship between a man and a woman is. He’s Earth and he’s really strong, he’s not even looking into the picture. He’s looking at her, it’s all about her and she just looks so intelligent, she looks like she's got it right sussed. He’s strong and grounded and there for her and she’s clever. It’s just a brilliant picture.
[...]
DHN: Will you be taking a break after the baby’s born?
RM: Not very long off. I'm very healthy - haven't really stopped working since I got pregnant. Touch wood everything goes to plan and I'll be out and about next summer touring and stuff.
You can read the complete interview in issue 25 of Zoo Magazine.
