Siobhán Donaghy

Siobhán Emma Donaghy (born 14 June 1984) is a British singer and songwriter best known as a founding member of the girl group Sugababes. Donaghy left Sugababes in 2001 and released her debut solo album, Revolution in Me, in 2003. Her second studio album, Ghosts, was released in 2007 and met critical acclaim.

In 2012, Donaghy and her former colleagues Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan confirmed their reunion. The original trio were not able to release music under the name Sugababes as it was still owned by the management company. They instead released music under the new name Mutya Keisha Siobhan, until they secured the legal rights to the Sugababes name again in 2019.

Early life Siobhán Emma Donaghy was born on 14 June 1984 in Eastcote to Irish parents

Career

1997–2001: Early career and Sugababes

Donaghy signed her first management contract at age 12 with Ron Tom, who at the time also managed British group All Saints. Donaghy said she was unsure if she wanted to be a singer at this point. Although her mother was supportive, her father was hesitant about his 12-year-old daughter signing contracts in the music industry. Soon after, Tom also signed Mutya Buena as a solo artist, and the pair performed an a cappella concert together at an industry showcase. Donaghy and Buena later began recording music together with British producer Don-E, with Buena eventually inviting her friend Keisha Buchanan to a recording session. Tom suggested the trio form a band called Sugababes. He paired the group together after likening their appearance to a commercial campaign from Italian fashion brand Benetton, noting the different ethnicity of each member.

Sugababes signed to London Records, sold over 231,000 copies in the UK as of 2021, and was a top five hit on several international charts. Their debut album, One Touch, was primarily produced by Cameron McVey,

quote="It was just never good. Right from the start. We just didn't get on. We ignored each other and went about our business. It was very much a working relationship and we couldn't even work at that. You know all those photos of us refusing to smile? I was just really unhappy and I couldn't be arsed." — —Donaghy on her working relationship with Sugababes member Keisha Buchanan, in an interview with The Guardian in 2003. According to the group, Donaghy "excused herself to go to the toilet" and never returned, She and Buena described a culture of intimidation within the group instigated by their former manager and a producer.

2001–2003: Revolution in Me Following her departure from Sugababes, Donaghy said she had panic attacks and a nervous breakdown, saying she would have been "happy never to work again." She was prescribed anti-depressants, "Nothing but Song" was released as a white label promotional 7" vinyl single in March 2003. For the release of her first commercial single in June, "Overrated", she reverted to her given name. The song was a top twenty hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 19. Her second single, "Twist of Fate", followed in September, peaking at number 52 in the UK.

Her debut album, Revolution in Me, was released on 29 September 2003. Several of its songs contain lyrics dealing with Donaghy's time as a member of Sugababes, The album peaked at number 117 on the UK Albums Chart. "Iodine" was scheduled to be released as the album's third single in December. However, Donaghy parted ways with London Records soon after the album was issued, alongside most of her previous collaborators, who left the label soon after it was absorbed by Warner Music Group. "Iodine" was instead released as a free download on her website, where she announced she was working on her second studio album independently.

2005–2010: Ghosts and Rent Remixed In 2005, Donaghy appeared as a vocalist on the Mattafix album Signs of a Struggle, and on the Morcheeba album The Antidote. That same year, she worked with producer James Sanger at his villa in northern France on material for her second album. His mother died prior to production, and he had developed an addition to heroin. However, Donaghy said these issues helped make the material more emotive. Sanger entered drug rehabilitation twice during the album's recording. Upon completion, Donaghy commended his sobriety, saying he has "completely changed his life now".

Ghosts was released in June 2007. Donaghy and Sanger recorded five of its songs before she was signed to a record deal. Parlophone financed the completion of the record when she signed with the label in 2006. The album features additional production from Marius de Vries. Its lyrics deal with themes of depression, independence, lost love, and survival. Floria Sigismondi created the album cover. She and Donaghy discussed concepts for the artwork for several months. The photoshoots took place at a disused theatre in Los Angeles, and required a crew of 100 people. The latter song was given a wider release as the lead single in April, and peaked at number 45 in the UK. and peaked at number 76.

The album peaked at number 92 in the UK.

Donaghy joined the cast of Rent Remixed less than two months after Ghosts was released. A new version of Rent created by William Baker and Steve Anderson, the production ran at the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End from October 2007, closing the following February. She postponed a tour and turned down work commitments related to Ghosts in order to join the production, where she portrayed Mimi.

In a January 2009 interview with We7, Donaghy said she would not release another solo album. She said: "At this point in time I have no further plans to undertake another record of my own. Ultimately, the true nature of the business side of the music industry is enough to keep me away. Nonetheless, if I find myself in the future bursting with ideas and experiences I feel the need to share through music, I will be back." In June 2009, she featured on the Square1 single "Styfling", which was produced by Revolution in Me collaborator Silvio Pacini. Later that year, she said she "had the break" she wanted from the industry and was currently working on new music, but was unsure when it would be finished.

2010–2016: Forming Mutya Keisha Siobhan

In March 2010, it was reported Donaghy's former colleague Mutya Buena was pursuing legal rights to the Sugababes name. Buena was doing it by herself and only listed Donaghy's and Buchanan's names on the documentation to register the Sugababes name with the EU's trademark office OHIM.

In October 2011, several news outlets reported the original line-up of Sugababes would reform. In January 2012, further circulations that the group would reunite were sparked, after both Buena and Buchanan tweeted that they were in the studio with "two other females" and British rapper Professor Green. However, Buena later denied this on Twitter, saying: "No track [with] keisha or professor G he was around tha studio. im jus workin on my stuff @ tha moment. (sic)" In April 2012, it was reported that the line-up had signed a £1 million record real with Polydor Records. In June 2012, Donaghy confirmed on Twitter that new music would be released, saying: "the soonest it'll be is in 2 weeks. The latest is 10 weeks."

In July 2012, it was officially confirmed the group had re-formed under the name Mutya Keisha Siobhan and were writing songs for a new album under Polydor. The group attended the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony on 27 July 2012 and posted pictures on their official Instagram page, marking Buena, Buchanan and Donaghy's first public appearance together in 11 years. On 6 August the group confirmed they had written two songs with Shaznay Lewis, former member of All Saints. The next day, Siobhan Donaghy tweeted "With the girls in the studio. I think the album is finished!!!" before adding "Whoop!" In an interview with Popjustice in August 2012 Donaghy stated she had no interest in releasing any more solo material, saying she felt her 2007 album Ghosts was her best work and did not see why she needed to release any more material and that she was completely focused on MKS. An album was confirmed by Donaghy in 2016 to be released in early 2017, however this never materialised.

2019–present: Touring and The Lost Tapes In February 2019, Mutya Buena confirmed a leak of the demos resulted in the album being postponed. Donaghy has a writing credit on the Bananarama song "Love in Stereo" along with Keisha Buchanan, a song originally written for the Mutya Keisha Siobhan album. In August 2019, Donaghy, Buena and Buchanan reunited for a cover of Sweet Female Attitude's "Flowers", produced by DJ Spoony, as part of his album Garage Classical. The trio is credited as Sugababes, making it the first time since 2001 that Donaghy had performed under the name. Sugababes headlined the second day of June 2022's "Mighty Hoopla" festival in Herne Hill, London. On 20 May 2022, it was announced the band would be supporting Westlife on their Dublin leg. They will make a number of further appearances at music festivals over the summer, including Glastonbury, Portsmouth's Victorious Festival and the Margate Pride Festival.

On 3 June 2022, the 2013 Mutya Keisha Siobhan single "Flatline" was re-released under the Sugababes name. Sugababes announced their 17-date headlining tour, their first tour in nine years, on 23 June 2022, starting on 16 October 2022 in Bristol and concluding on 7 November 2022 in Glasgow. In October 2022, it was announced that the band would support Take That at BST Hyde Park on 1 July 2023 alongside The Script. They later released The Lost Tapes, an album consisting of previously unreleased material. In March 2023, Donaghy appeared as a special guest on 'Spinning Plates', a podcast series presented by Sophie Ellis Bextor.

On 8 December 2023, a 20th-anniversary edition of Revolution in Me was released with a vinyl pressing for the first time. The release was preceded by the release of an album out-take, "Pop Illusion", as a promotional single.

Personal life From 2006 to 2011 she worked as a model booker in London.

Donaghy married Chris McCoy in 2013. They have a son, born in 2017. and a daughter, born in 2020. She is a cousin of Irish Gaelic footballer player, Kieran Donaghy.

Discography

Revolution in Me (2003) Ghosts (2007)

Tours

Sugababes Sacred Three Tour Sugababes UK Tour Sugababes Australian Tour Sugababes Australian Tour Sugababes 25

Other shows One Night Only at the O2 Parklife

Supporting act Westlife – The Wild Dreams Tour Take That – Live at Hyde Park

Awards and nominations

2001 British Single of the Year "Overload"

2001 Best Kept Secret

2001 Best R&B/Soul Act

2013 Best British Pop Single "Flatline"

2000 Best New Band Sugababes Theatre appearances Year Production Role Theatre 2007 / 2008 Rent Mimi Duke of York's Theatre, London