If Misch seems surprised, it’s because his fanbase has developed naturally. He never set out with any grand plan when he began making beats, and uploading roughly three tracks a week to Soundcloud at 16. “ I prefer a more organic approach to making music, but also to building a fanbase,” he reflects. “I don’t want a big push on my music as I don’t want to be as big as possible.” And yet, he’s rapidly become one of the U.K.’s most exciting emerging new artists, gaining 1.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify and playing a sold-out tour of the U.K., U.S. and Europe in 2016. Collaborating with a clutch of fellow trailblazers like Novelist, Loyle Carner, and Zak Abel, he’s accumulated a total of 75 million streams across all platforms to date — and it all started in his bedroom.
Misch’s earliest introduction to music came via his artistic family, including his psychiatrist father, a passionate violinist, who would take him to concerts and the opera as a child. He sang in a choir at school, and picked up the violin himself at the age of four. When one of his older sisters took up guitar and later abandoned it, nine-year-old Misch inherited the instrument, and taught himself to play Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Nirvana songs. Today, he also plays bass, banjo, and a smattering of keys.
It was one of his sister’s boyfriends who introduced him to the music of J Dilla at 15, and from then on, Misch was hooked. He took up Music Technology at school the following year, and began learning how to create his own “really chilled out, boom-bap kind of ‘90s hip-hop” on Logic Pro. “When I wasn’t at school, I’d be making beats,” he says. “It was just what I did.” As he began sharing his tunes on Soundcloud, he found the response was overwhelming. “You put songs out and you build a fanbase — it’s kind of addictive.”
A collaboration with his sister Laura, on the jazz-inflected “Follow,” was a major turning point for both siblings after it was uploaded to influencer YouTube channel Majestic Casual. The track features Laura on sax and Tom on beats and vocals, intertwined to mesmeric effect. “That was the point where I was like, okay, maybe I could do this as a career,” Misch reflects. “Suddenly it had 100,000 plays.” Shortly afterward, Soulection co-founder Joe Kay commented on one of Misch’s productions on Soundcloud, asking the teenage prodigy to guest on his radio show.
Soon afterward, in 2014, Misch contributed to Soulection’s White Label series, weaving together obscure jazz samples, guitar, and vocals to create the perfect summer listen (including the dreamy fan favourite “The Journey”). His Beat Tape series collected the best of his hip-hop instrumentals, the 5 Day Mischon project featured collaborations with grime MC Novelist and singer-songwriter Zak Abel, and his 2016 Reverie EP brought the official release of Misch’s most sophisticated songs to date. As well as soulful singers Carmody and Jordan Rakei, he struck up a collaborative relationship with fellow south Londoner Loyle Carner, whose mellow bars flow over Misch’s productions like a breeze on a hot day. Both artists form part of the much-hyped scene of singer-songwriters emerging from south east London, including King Krule and Cosmo Pyke. Each has a DIY mindset and a brooding, poetic approach to lyricism that weaves them loosely together. “There’s definitely a certain sound,” reflects Misch. “Everyone’s music in south London is really chilled. It reflects the vibe of this part of London — it’s laid back.”
Misch has lived in south London all his life, and he loves it so much that his new single, “South of the River,” is dedicated to it. “I much prefer the general vibe of south London,” he says. “I love this area, Peckham, Dulwich, Forest Hill. Singing that line — You should come south of the river — it just felt really good.” With its string arrangements mirroring disco synth stabs and a funky bassline, it’s an irresistible bop that nods clearly to Misch’s danceable new direction.
One of the biggest influences on Misch’s sound has long been jazz. With a degree in jazz guitar, Misch is an avid listener of Robert Glasper, Roy Hargrove, Cory Henry, and jazz-influenced songwriters like D’Angelo and Erykah Badu. “It’s kind of a warm feeling, when you hear a certain chord progression,” he explains.
In the making of his debut album, he’s also been drawing on inspiration from disco, house, and techno, discovered through the portal of producers like Kaytranada and Motor City Drum Ensemble. The euphoric feel of 1970s and ‘80s disco (think Earth Wind and Fire or Gwen McCrae), and the thump of nightclubs like Fabric or Corsica, inspired him to bring more movement into his songs. “I want people to dance at my live shows, I want to bring more energy,” he says. “When you’re in a club and you can feel the bass...I want people to have that experience.”
Misch’s sound is true to its roots — he still makes his tracks in the same bedroom studio in his parents’ house, and his mum produces his artwork. (“ Her work is very DIY, just like my music, and feels homespun,” he explains.) But he’s never afraid to explore new territory. “I think it’s really important to make music that hasn’t been made before,” he says. “I’m trying to work out what my sound is, and pursuing that.” Fans might think they know his style, but Misch is a restless experimentalist, keen to spend endless hours honing his craft. One of his favorite new songs is a “Brazilian-sounding” jam that reflects how deeply he feels about his work. As he puts it: “It’s about how you can’t take away my love for music. I’ll always have that.”
In The Midst Of It All
Tom Misch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I focused on
A hundred moments ready drawn
Into my memory
But you still can't lose though
The time it grows
I know you like to take it slow
but I got to know
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Easy to find me,
I will take to the moments that you've never known
Keep for the future
Maybe we will stay here,
Maybe somewhere close,
but I'm never sure where you will go
So I've got to know
That's why you've got to come here alone
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
In the lyrics of Tom Misch's "In The Midst Of It All," the singer is reflecting on a relationship with someone who has given them something special. They have memories of the good times they've shared, but also a sense of apprehension about how fleeting and uncertain love can be. The singer expresses a desire to create new memories and experiences together, but also understands that he can't control the passage of time or the future of the relationship. "Easy to find me," he sings, "I will take to the moments that you've never known / Keep for the future / Maybe we will stay here / Maybe somewhere close / But I'm never sure where you will go / So I've got to know."
The theme of this song could be summarized as a bittersweet reflection on love and relationships. The beauty of love is that it can create memories and moments that are cherished forever, but it can also be fragile and fleeting. Nobody can predict what the future holds, and the singer is resigned to the fact that he can only appreciate the present moment and hope that his love will endure.
Line by Line Meaning
Something you gave me
I received something from you
I focused on
I paid close attention to it
A hundred moments ready drawn
Many memories are already vivid in my mind
Into my memory
They are engraved in my recollection
But you still can't lose though
However, you cannot get rid of them easily
The time it grows
Time continues to pass by
I know you like to take it slow
I understand that you prefer a leisurely pace
but I got to know
But I need to find out
That's why you've got to come here over
Hence, you must come to me
Easy to find me,
It's not hard to locate me
I will take to the moments that you've never known
I will introduce you to new experiences or emotions
Keep for the future
Let's store them for later use
Maybe we will stay here,
Perhaps we will remain here
Maybe somewhere close,
Maybe in a nearby place
but I'm never sure where you will go
But I'm uncertain of your intentions or destination
So I've got to know
Therefore, I need to find out
That's why you've got to come here alone
Therefore, you must come to me by yourself
Contributed by Samuel P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TheYesikachika
Something you gave me
I focused on
A hundred moments 'ready sewn
Into my memory
But you still can't lose though
The time it grows
I know you like to take it slow
But I got to know
That's why you've got to come here alone
Easy to find me
I'll take you to
The moments that you've never known
Keep for the future
Maybe we will stay here
Maybe somewhere close
But I'm never sure where you will go
So I've got to know
That's why you've got to come here alone
@TomMisch
New album "What Kinda Music" out now!! ☄️ https://whatkindamusic.lnk.to/album
@TheRaginRach
Tom Misch Tom we love you just heard this song yesterday it’s very timely to me at current
@leinac6524
Never stop music please you are awesomeeeeee Remember when you come at " Jazz à Vienne " that's the next city where I'm living
@mikomallorca1421
00
@CollegeMusic
Beautiful, *****. We would be honoured to share this :)
@amourie
I found him off of one of your lofi streams and instantly fell in love w the music. So thanks for sharing this! I needed his music in my life
@hendrikalbertusjanssens7933
you guys still live in 2015?
@ameensponggle3734
@@hendrikalbertusjanssens7933 YES
@edwinfelix2419
Lights dimmed in my appartment, moved comfy chair to window, looked outside the window onto the night skyline, put on this song, lit a joint, perfection.
@Tealio17
That sounds wonderful