| Tahita Bulmer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 April 1974 London, England |
| Genres | Post-punk revival Electropop New Rave Alternative Dance |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2001—present |
| Labels | Modular Recordings |
| Associated acts | New Young Pony Club |
Tahita Rotardier Bulmer (born 29 April 1981) is the lead vocalist for the British electropop band, New Young Pony Club. Tahita is the daughter of Rowan Bulmer, previously one of the Richmond "Faces", along with his flatmate, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, and photographer for Ready Steady Go/The Marquee Club, now retired, and Valewska Rotardier (1939–1999). Tahita is of mixed heritage, her mother being Trinidadian and her father being English. She has described her upbringing as "Romantic in some ways, frightening in others. I certainly wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now without those bizarre formative experiences."
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She was born in London, but spent her childhood living in New York, London and Cairo. Bulmer has described herself as the only sane issue of a long line of paranoid schizophrenic women and says that her turbulent nomadic childhood was a direct result of living with a schizophrenic parent. "One minute you'd be playing Ludo, the next you're lifting the sofa to see if the Antichrist is underneath. You don't know any better so you think its hilarious when you're seven or eight. My mother used to cover bits of paper in crosses and put red velvet over the mirrors, she thought it would keep out the ghosts and unkind spirits"
Tahita did not attend school at all between the ages of 8 and 13, spending that period traveling with her mother. She has said that she spent that period reading constantly and that it fostered her love of the English language and clever word play, " I used to read about 15 books a week. I was allowed out to the library but not to play with other kids, just in case they were a bad influence. So I developed a very vivid imagination. I was constantly having adventures in other worlds with a whole troupe of imaginary friends. I still have some of them."
Bulmer has also suggested that her childhood fostered her anti-drug stance. " I know everyone thinks its amazing and life changing to get out of your head all the time, but you've grown up with someone who is permanently that way, being "crazy" and out of control doesn't seem that appealing. I don't think it would be good for me. My imagination is vivid enough without psychedelics and narcotics."
According to an interview,[1] she is a vegetarian who describes herself as loving animals, and is interested in animal rights. She "wasn’t very good at sports as a kid, being a complete science nerd. I just wanted to invent amazing things, and be a great artist and a famous surgeon".
Bulmer is an avid supporter of the animal rights group Viva!.[2] In an interview with Juliet Gellatley,[3] who is Founder & International Director of Viva!, Bulmer stated: "My diet gives me energy and when I tried giving up dairy my skin cleared up. There are definitely health advantages to being veggie.”
"I find in talking to people that we are so removed from that whole chain of how meat or dairy comes to the table – like when kids see meat and think it comes in batter or think it’s a vegetable. They don’t relate the chicken drumstick or burger with an animal. That’s why it’s important Viva! makes people associate what they’re eating with the animal and the process that it goes through to get to your plate”.[4]
Tahita has been in bands since her teens, gigging in and around London. Bulmer attended Sussex University between 1994 and 1997, during which time she was in the band Alphawave. She provided vocals for the 2002 album Man Mountain by Blue States. She also co-wrote five tracks on the album, including the standout track from this album "Season Song". "Season Song" was used on the closing credits of the film "28 Days Later". Tahita has said of her time in Blue States that it was "enjoyable but ultimately (she) really wanted to return to her roots in post punk and dance music".
On-stage, Bulmer is noted for her enthusiasm and dancing reminscient of New Romantic and New Wave stars of the 80s, and her iconic sense of style.
She appeared on Series 21 Episode 3 of Never Mind The Buzzcocks.