INXS announced over the weekend that they have signed a new singer. Taking the place of J.D. Fortune, who joined the band after winning the 2005 TV show "Rock Star: INXS," Ciaran Gribbin met INXS keyboardist and main songwriter, Andrew Farriss, at a party thrown by a mutual friend two years ago. The two developed a friendship that culminated in an invitation to join the band. Farriss and Gribbin are already working on new material in Australia and a new song, "Tiny Summer" is already streaming in demo form on INXS.com. The band will hit the road for six dates in November, after which they plan on hitting the studio to get to work on a new album.
A native of Ireland, 35 year-old Gribbin is no stranger to performing on the big stage. He has performed with the band Leya, recorded as a solo artist under the name Joe Echo, and co-wrote the song "Celebration" for Madonna, which earned him a Grammy nomination last year.