www.the4ofus.com
Formed in Newry, Ireland, the Four of Us is powered by the brothers Brendan
Murphy (vocals) and Declan Murphy (guitar). Virtually unknown in the U.S., the
Four of Us are actually one of Ireland's most successful rock groups.
In 1989, the band released their first LP, Songs for the Tempted. The single
"Mary" — a vivid tale of domestic abuse which was actually named after a girl
that Brendan had a crush on — rocketed to No. 1 on the Irish charts. As a
result, Songs for the Tempted went double platinum in Ireland; it also won Best
Album of the Year at the Irish Music Awards. The Four of Us were able to plunge
into the mainstream while keeping their devout collegiate following intact.
However, after 1992's Man Alive, which was voted by Q Magazine as one of that
year's Top 50 records, the group seemed to have vanished from the pop spotlight.
They cut ties with Sony and retreated from the studio, having spent three
frustrating years working on an aborted third record.
In 1999, the Four of Us returned with Classified Personal. The band made a
commercial comeback in 2003 with the single "Sunlight", receiving heavy airplay
and critical acclaim for a track that was not available for sale until a year
later on the album Heaven & Earth. The Four of Us funded the records themselves,
issuing them through EMI via a licensing deal.