South London musical prodigy Tom Misch has come a long way since the last time we caught up with him almost three years ago. Two albums โ Geography & What Kinda Music โ a world tour, and over 4 million monthly Spotify listeners tend to do that for your career.
To say his popularity has โblown upโ would be an understatement. Youโve likely heard his music even if you havenโt realised it. Itโs near impossible to walk into a bar, cafe or elevator without your ears pricking up to that signature guitar lick from the now 24-year-old.
Long gone are the days of his humble high-school beginnings, cutting up beats in his bedroom to upload on his Soundcloud. Fast forward to the present and the manโs ready to embrace a new tangent from the success of his debut album Geography, this time alongside percussionist Yussef Dayes.
In a quick yarn with Tom, we pick up where things left off, discuss the byproducts of this unexpected time off, and get some interesting insights into the new record titled What Kinda Music โ which actually came about by accident.
Listen to it in the link below as you read through our chat with Tom Misch himself.
โWhat Kinda Musicโ by Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes drops on April 24.
JM: Hey Tom, how you doing? Howโs quarantine treating you?
TM: Good thanks man, yeah itโs alright โ just playing a lot of guitar and a lot of Call Of Duty.
JM: Your โquarantine sessionsโ are really starting to pick up online โ do you just wake up one morning and start jamming or do you have these ideas ready to go?
TM: Yeah it gives me something to focus on I guess, work on throughout the week. Iโve been thinking about the next one, Iโll probably do a Bill Withers cover next.
JM: Respect. Letโs back it up a few years before we get stuck into the new stuff. Beat Tape 1 is finally on vinyl and streaming services โ what was the process like getting that remastered? Itโs ancient compared to what you do now.
TM: Amazingly, I donโt actually have that computer anymore, so I couldnโt find the project files. So what I had to do was go onto Band Camp and re-purchase my own album off Band Camp and then I sent those files to a mastering engineer who kinda levelled them out a bit more. Quite a funny process really.
JM: โWhat Kinda Musicโ with Yussef Dayes is a very balanced collaboration, much more of a musicianโs album. Putting a full album together is a big leap of faith though, especially off the back of Geographyโs success โ howโd this all start?
TM: Iโve been aware of Yussef for a while, we grew up in the same area. I remember seeing this guy at the school talent show โ I think I went to an open day and this kid I saw playing the drums was insane. Then 12 years later I put two and two together and realised it was Yussef Dayes, and Iโm a fan of his now. We met at my Geography launch party and said โhey, letโs get in the studioโ and there was a really great vibe straight off.
JM: This album has quite an emphasis on percussion โ fairly unique to your previous stuff โ why did you think it would work with Yussef?
TM: You know what? We didnโt go in with the intention of making an album. We kind of just got in the studio and said โletโs just see what happensโ and stuff just came about really quickly. Before we knew it we had two or three tracks, and then a couple of weeks later we had six tracks. It was all very organic. Not many people collaborate with drummers or make an album with a drummer, so thatโs something quite unique.
JM: Thereโs a voice on the phone call in the โJulie Mangosโ track that compares this album to Geography โ who is it?
TM: So thatโs my dad [laughs]. Heโs always been quite involved in my music, giving opinions. I basically called him up when I was working on the record and asked him what he thought of it. I recorded the phone call and thatโs what he said. I just put it in there because I thought it was funny, thereโs not too much more to it really. I donโt think itโs better than Geography. Itโs just different, a different piece of music and a different time in my life.
JM: Is this the start of something more between you and Yussef?
TM: I think weโre going to keep working together Yussef and I, whether thatโs him playing drums on my next record or me featuring on his. We actually did a lot more tracks than whatโs on the album โ probably like six or seven. It was a big experiment, we just got into the studio and saw what happened. There wasnโt much pressure on it either, it was just free and organic.
JM: Do you feel like you had pressure on Geography?
TM: Well I had a deadline. My manager basically sat me down and said that I had three months to make the album. I probably should have started it earlier to be fair. That album was a completely different way of working. I was by myself for that record churning it out โ and itโs funny because it doesnโt sound like a record made by someone by themselves โ it sounds very happy, doesnโt it?
JM: On my first listen of the new record I was really digging โNightriderโ, but then I heard โThe Realโ one more timeโฆam I getting a little Aretha Franklin sample there?
TM: Thatโs right man, itโs an Aretha Frankling sample. I had a day in the studio with Loyle Carner and I called Yussef in to record some drums for him, and then Loyle left the studio and Yussef and I stayed there and ended up recording like three tracks for the new album. It was a super productive day, and one of the tracks was the drums for โThe Realโ. I went home and chopped them up and sampled some Aretha, came together really nicely.
JM: Youโve already ticked off the likes of GoldLink & De La Soul, but youโve also previously called out Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg as dream collaborators. Are any looking like a reality in the near future?
TM: Oh man Iโd love to. But as they get older they do a lot fewer collaborations and I feel like itโs a ticking clock. But Iโm also not too devastated if I donโt work with them, because I like to work with new people, you know?
JM: I noticed you have a little bromance going on with John Mayer at the moment as wellโฆ
TM: Oh yeah man thatโs really special. Thatโs a dream, to be honest.
JM: Now my mate Sam and I spotted a Kaytranada collab on your Instagram stories a year or two ago and weโre wondering โ when are we going to hear it? Are you going to give the boys what they want?
TM: So basically he sent me a batch of beats and I canโt remember what happened but I donโt think I ever got around to recording them. Then it was too late. But Iโd still love to vocal a Kaytranada track man, Iโm a big fan of him and his DJ sets.
JM: Itโs been a colossal rise to success, to the point where I canโt walk into a bar, restaurant or elevator without hearing your tunes. Have you ever heard yourself playing in a bizarre location in some far-flung corner of the globe?
TM: I remember it happened in a ski resort maybe like four years ago. They started playing this remix, and it kinda left my mind and I was nodding along with it and I thought โthis is quite nice, Iโm into itโ and then I realised it was one of the first remixes I ever did. The really weird thing is when I walk into a cafe and a song of mine comes on and I think someoneโs trying to freak me out or something. It feels like a bit of coincidence, itโs happened a few times, sometimes Iโll see someone in the shop giggling.
JM: Recently you teased a little musical scoring on social media โ you were using some inspiration from one of my favourite musical composers, Olafur Arnalds โ can you tell me more about that?
TM: Iโd love to get into film scoring, and now since Iโve got quite a lot of free time I downloaded a string sample pack from Olafur that makes your notes on the keyboard basically sound like an orchestra. Iโve been messing around with that but itโs a whole new world. Iโm a massive fan of Hans Zimmer and all the scores heโs done. Iโd love to study it, I think itโs something Iโd have to study a bit more before I really got into it.
JM: What would you say are your top three sexiest songs of all-time? Youโd feature on quite a few baby-making playlists no doubt.
TM: [Laughs] โMovieโ Iโd say is one of them. I reckon โTidal Waveโ off this new album is also one, people are going to hear this one on the new album and really get around itโฆ
JM: That Tiny Desk Version of โI Wishโ was reaaally groovy towards the end.
TM: Oh yeah man, that oneโs pretty nice actually. Iโm really happy with how that guitar solo came out. That was a cool experience to be a part of.
JM: Any plans for an Australian Tour?
TM: Man I really want to come to Australia because Iโve never been. Spend some time out there, play some shows. I will for sure, once all this blows over. But Iโm not a massive tourer, I donโt like doing big tours to be honest.
JM: Youโve got some time now which is pretty rare, whatโs on for the next few months?
TM: More filming scoring stuff, more quarantine sessions and then I guess the album is taking up the rest of it. I donโt want to be doing to much I want to give the album some space.
JM: What are you binging on Netflix right now?
TM: Tiger King, you canโt make that stuff up. Itโs a crazy crazy thing. I also just watched a new Beatles documentary that was really interesting.
JM: When youโre finally allowed to go out for a pint with your mates โ where are you gonna go, who with, and what drink are you going to order?
TM: Iโll probably go to Wetherspoons, which is a chain of cheap pubs in the UK โ do you know it? Iโd just be happy with a pint of Amstel and a few mates to be honest.
JM: Hopefully that day comes sooner rather than later. Thanks for joining us mate and we look forward to seeing you in Australia.
โWhat Kinda Musicโ by Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes is now available to stream.
