Born and raised in West London, Rukhsana is a product of the contemporary cultural and musical melting pot provided by her surroundings, as well as being influenced by US performers ranging from Kanye and Frank Ocean, to Haim and John Meyer.
| Rukhsana Merrise |
Her parents’ record collection also left its mark: ‘I grew up listening to Fleetwood Mac, 10cc, Karen Carpenter, or Joni Mitchell. Joni was when I found out that you can write about anything.’ Merrise's poetic heartfelt lyricism and pop-tinged vocals continue to enable her to stand out.
September Songs was released in September 2015 via Communion Records, followed by acclaimed single ‘Money’. Alongside September Songs’ two million Spotify plays, it has also been heard half a million times via Soundcloud and been played on BBC Radio 1 and Radio X.
Rukhsana has also provided support slots for James Bay, Oh Wonder and Bear’s Den on recent tours and has performed at several festivals including Glastonbury, Citadel, BST and Latitude.