News: ‘Dangerous’ Announced As The First Single Off Rumer’s Upcoming Album ‘Into Colour’
3 min read
(UK) Rumer has announced details of ‘Into Colour’, her second album of original material, which will be released via Atlantic Records on November 10 and is available for pre-order now. This follows the million-selling debut ‘Seasons Of My Soul’, which won Rumer a Mojo Award, BRIT nominations, and support from the likes of Burt Bacharach, Elton John and Richard Carpenter. She will confirm a return to playing live shortly, following sell-out shows at the likes of Royal Albert Hall, South Bank Centre, and a brief cameo at this year’s Glastonbury festival.
‘Into Colour’ continues a personal journey which has already seen Rumer – born north of Islamabad in 1979 – go from a variety of service jobs and a decade on the unsigned circuit to one of the more surprising crossovers in recent times. Her first collection of new songs in four years, ‘Into Colour’ is the Rumer you first fell for, but in a mood you may have not heard her in previously. Musically, it’s more upbeat, sensual and hopeful, expanding the laid-back Bacharach sound to further incorporate elements of 70s Philly grooves (Thom Bell, Hall & Oates), Soul (Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye)…and on thrilling first single ‘Dangerous’, even Disco.
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The backdrop of ‘Into Colour’ formed in the wake of 2012’s ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, an eclectic collection of works originally written by 70’s male singer-songwriters. It’s a period Rumer now compares to “the end of Hamlet”, but nonetheless saw her reach #3 in the UK charts, perform at the White House for President Obama, and led to many unexpected creative adventures with some of the legends she covered. Then, in an attempt at getting better, Rumer flew herself from her home of Herne Hill to the musical mecca of Laurel Canyon, where she rented a trailer which was backed onto the tumbledown villa of an unconventional family of four (as well as their two pot-bellied pigs, a cat, a dog and a snake). This unusual environment was to have parallels with Rumer’s childhood in Pakistan, and a later period spent living in a commune. In America she also reconnected with Rob Shirakbari, the longtime musical director to Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick. Rob was to become Rumer’s producer, collaborator…and, eventually, her fiancé.
What emerged was ‘Into Colour’ – recorded between Rob and Rumer’s home in Arkansas, New Jersey and London’s legendary RAK Studios. Most of the rhythm section was performed live by members of Daryl Hall’s band – Rumer and Daryl met when collaborating on cult American TV show ‘Live from Daryl’s House – whilst the album also includes three co-writes with ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ songwriter Stephen Bishop. And whilst there’s a more fevered, occasionally sensual tone throughout, ‘Into Colour’ is by equal parts more outspoken, observational and frustrated. It’s ultimately a record about compassion, tracing the journey from where Rumer was – lonely, burnt out and lost – to where she is now: that some voice you fell for on breakthrough hit ‘Slow’ but cast, for the first time, ‘Into Colour’.
‘INTO COLOUR’ TRACKLIST:
1. Intro (Return Of Blackbird)
2. Dangerous
3. Reach Out
4. You Just Don’t Know People
5. Baby Come Back To Bed
6. Play Your Guitar
7. Sam
8. Better Place
9. Pizza And Pinball
10. Butterfly
11. I Am Blessed
