Arklow’s favourite daughter, Róisín Murphy, is in the midst of another busy summer of festivals. But when Hot Press calls for a chat ahead of her Electric Picnic performance, she’s taking a seriously well-earned holiday in an unnamed Balearic Island.

Murphy started the summer with the release of her latest single, ‘Incapable’. A deliciously smooth house and disco number, it was very much in the vein of her four double-sided 12” vinyl singles, which she released a year ago. They were no-nonsense dance tracks, geared as much to filling the club floor as to showcasing her unique pop singing style.

“I’m in a moment of not really knowing what the next thing I release is going to be,” notes Róisín. “But there are more groovers ready to go, with this mixture of me and a sort of Sheffield, minimalist, Bee Gees vibe.”

For ‘Incapable’, the singer teamed up with long-time collaborator Richard Barratt, aka DJ Parrot, who produced several of her earlier albums, and who she now considers family.

“I mean I’ve known him since I was a teenager,” she reflects, “and he’s somebody who makes me feel very grounded. He wasn’t making house music for a long time, and it was me who made him make house music. Now he’s doing really well with the old ‘Crooked Man’ persona. So he’s come back to me in the last year, and devoted himself to me, which is nice. But yeah, he’s like my Uncle Techno.”

In the past few months, Róisín has played solo shows, and at festivals throughout Europe. Does she still enjoy a busy festival season as much as ever?

“Yeah I do, maybe even more so,” she enthuses. “Because I’m kind of like an ugly, fat girlfriend – in that I’m really grateful! (Laughs) You know, I am really grateful to still be here. Anyone who sees me live can see that I really enjoy it, and there’s a massive amount of gratefulness there. I’m really pleased that I can still do this, still make this my life, still make a living out of it.”

HOT PRESS' MIXED GRILL

Where’s your favourite place in Ireland?
(Suki D, Portlaoise)

I do get a strange energy from going back to the Meeting of the Waters in Avoca, because I spent so much time there as a kid watching my uncle – who was a musician – play in a jazz band on Sunday mornings throughout the summer. I was brought up on live music because of him. It’s a special place for me. And when I live at home, I live quite close to there. So that whole area, near Arklow, is very important to me.

Where’s your favourite venue to play at?
(Shiv, Dunshaughlin)

The one that pops into my head is Paradiso in Amsterdam. I’ve had loads of gigs there and I’ve never had a bad one. It’s just an amazing place – it feels like coming home.

Who’s your fashion inspiration at the moment?
(Sinéad Mahon, Dublin)

My fashion inspiration at the moment is my daughter! She’s much wilder than I am these days. Right now she’s nine and God help us all when she’s a teenager.

Any advice for upcoming musicians?
(Paul Meaney, Mayo)

No! Because I come from a different world than them. How can I advise musicians that are coming into a totally different industry than the one I came into? I was very lucky. At 19, I managed to get signed to a label who looked after me. I can’t give advice because I don’t know if that happens anymore.

Biggest songwriting inspiration at the minute?
(Daz Brick, Dublin)

Hi-NRG. Just mad into it. ‘Come and have a dance for your mum. Don’t be ashamed!'

Craziest gig stories?
(Chris O’Keefe, Tramore)

There’s been a few. I was reading some article recently about one of these new pop stars, Jess Glynne. Beautiful girl. Red hair. She got banned from the Isle of Wight because she stayed up all night the night before. Then she said she was sick and bowed out of her gig at the Isle of Wight. This is something I have never done. I’ve stayed up all night before gigs, but I’ve gotten up onstage the next day! I think maybe, going back to two questions before: the young up-and-coming ones, they have to toughen up a little bit. It’s tough out there. With gigging, once you learn to have a good time, even though that somehow makes it harder, it makes it easier. I mean, enjoy yourself. Stay up all night if you want – but do the fucking gig!

What’s one song or piece that you wish you could’ve written?
(Luck Kavanagh, Birmingham)

What’s that song? (Sings) “Birds do it, bees do it/ Even educated fleas do it/ Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.” It’s the most intelligent song there is. If you listen to it, it has Darwinism in it, naturalism, naturism, science, love – it’s just a very clever, clever song. And sometimes I wonder if we’ve lost that art, in terms of popular songwriting – to straddle those two spheres, meaning something that everyone can sing along to it, but something that also shows well-informed, well-read songwriting.

Who’s your dream collaborator?
(Lucio, Milan)

I don’t have dream collaborators, that’s not how I operate. I don’t like to be disappointed (laughs). I don’t want to be sitting around pining to work with someone, because there’s always someone there. There’s always someone I can turn to, who’s beside me, who feels natural.

Favourite thing to do in Wicklow?
(Mark, Bray)

An auld sing-song in the pub. Not enough people do that anymore. Me and me dad turn up and we often scandalise the pub when we start singing, but fuck them!

Best pub in Arklow?
(Tracey, Arklow)

The Harbour Bar, in the deep south of Arklow. It’s a rough auld pub, but it’s the best pub – always has been.

You’re playing Electric Picnic, are you excited to see anyone in particular?
(Mike Smith, Cavan)

Billie Eilish fascinates me – it’d be interesting to see what she’s doing live. About the rest of them, I couldn’t give a God’s curse.

Who’s on your playlist at the moment?
(DJ Loopz, Newcastle West)

I’m listening to a lot of Hi-NRG to give me writing inspiration. That’s what I’m trying to achieve. So lots of horrendously full-on, very, very gay music – so full on it almost goes straight.

Favourite Irish artist at the minute?
(Pete, Mullingar)

Kojaque. It’s just mindbending, absolutely mindbending. It must also be mindbending for everyone else in Ireland. That we’ve come in such an unbelievable full circle. When I started making music in Moloko, there was dissonance about me being an Irish artist and making electronic music. But now, there’s all this mad urban and electronic music coming out of Ireland. It makes me very proud. We’re not all Hothouse Flowers anymore!