An Anglo-Pakistani singer-songwriter in the classic 1970s soft-rock mould of Karen Carpenter and Carole King
Who is she?
A singer-songwriter in the classic 1970s soft-rock mould of Karen Carpenter and Carole King. To hear her, you'd never guess she was an Anglo-Pakistani hippy with a complicated history.
How complicated, exactly?
She was born in Pakistan, the youngest child of an English couple who were working in Islamabad. Once back in the UK, she learned that her father was actually the family's Pakistani cook, which prompted a decade of aimless travelling and frenetic songwriting. There was even a stint in a commune run by a "philanthropic baronet". After eventually settling in south London, she amassed a following that now includes Carly Simon and the godfather of lounge, Burt Bacharach.
What does Bacharach see in her?
Rumer's pure voice and lilting melodies are influenced by artists he worked with, Carpenter and Dionne Warwick. Rumer often writes about love, though her lyrics incline toward euphoria or desolation. When Bacharach came across her, he flew her to California just to hear her sing.
And then success came calling?
There was a spell of knocking on doors before a major label signed her. But with Radio 1 exposure in the offing, she could be a wild-card pop success.
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