Award-winning singer Rumer ‘delighted’ to play in Derry next month

The gig is Rumer’s only Irish date and she will be supported by Suzanne Savage. Rumer can’t wait to see the maiden city for herself.

She said: “People had been asking me to come to Ireland for a while so when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it. I have never been to Derry before so I’m delighted to come.

“It’s a great chance to get out and to thank people for listening and supporting me. I’ve been doing this for a long time now and people are wonderful. It’s really nice to have the opportunity to come to peoples towns and cities and say thank you.

“I have a compilation album out now, it’s a B-side. It’s something the fans really like, a collection of songs that didn’t make particular projects for whatever reasons. I brought Nashville Tears out in 2020, then a live album and B-sides and rarities Volume two. There’s some interesting songs, two or three songs from Bacharach, some from the Into Colour period, a song that was commissioned for a movie but didn’t make it. There’s a song I did with Boys Don’t Cry that was really good but I just ran out of steam. I actually really enjoyed going back and looking for those things that people would enjoy.

“Some ‘Journal’ readers might not know about my National Tears album, which was the songs of Hugh Prestwood. Hugh Prestwood is a great writer and I’ve always said that Irish people in particular would appreciate him. He’s a country singer/songwriter but he’s got this mystical, spiritual dimension to him and that’s what I feel like when I’m in Ireland. People of faith have sense of angels being real. You’re told that by people in school so there’s a sense of mysticism in Ireland, both north and south, and I feel like people would understand Hugh Prestwood’s songs and love his work. It’s nice to believe in something and to feel like there’s another dimension to life and I think that’s what Hugh Prestwood gets in his song writing. There’s like a third dimension to his songs. There’s a mystical, spiritual element to it even though it’s very earthy.

“There’s a song where he came across a cat but the cat wouldn’t let him touch her because she had been through so much. So he had a connection with the cat but the only time he ever touched her was when she died. The lament of the song is asking if people are too hurt so they can’t love, it’s too hard for them. It’s a beautiful song. I curated a whole collection of Hugh Prestwood songs to present to people who have never heard of him. It’s an introduction to Hugh Prestwood but instead of making a compilation tape, I recorded them myself. It was such a great project and I really enjoyed doing it. I didn’t really get to promote it during Covid but it’s a lovely record and I think people would like it.

“I’m so thankful to everyone who has listened and I’m looking forward to seeing them in Derry. Hopefully I’ll be able to meet everyone after and have a chat too!”

Rumer will play in Christ Church in Derry on August 19 and tickets are available here.