Rutaba Yaqub was born in Saudi Arabia and moved to Lahore, Pakistan in 2010,[1] to study computer engineering at the University of Central Punjab.
[4] Yaqub started to write her own songs, but that career path risked closing when her family began to pressure her to return to Saudi Arabia following her graduation from University.
Yaqub received further exposure after recording a cover version of Coldplay's "The Scientist" which was streamed online several thousand times.
[3] Following the death of singer turned preacher Junaid Jamshed, Yaqub spoke of her shock to Public Radio International.
Yaqub met the other members of the band, who were all in a group called Wisdom Salad, through the rapper Moe Nawaz, and she invited them to join her on the show.