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.”
MEMORY
Tom Misch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So tonight I'm sleeping under the stars
Cuz I feel it
And you're climbing up with me
Your absence used to rip me apart
When I close my eyes
You're still climbing up with me
[Chorus]
Tonight, I'm sleeping under the stars
Cuz I feel it
And you're climbing up with me
Your absence used to rip me apart
When I close my eyes
You're climbing up with me
In my
Memory [x30]
In "Memory" by Tom Misch, the singer is speaking about one of two things: either a memory that they cherish so much that it feels like it is happening in the present, or they are with someone who has physically left them and they are creating new memories with them in their mind. The chorus sings of being under the stars and feeling a connection with someone else who is climbing up with them. This could be interpreted as either a memory of stargazing with someone in the past, or a metaphor for a spiritual connection with someone who has passed away. The verse then explains that this person's absence used to cause the singer great pain, but now they find comfort in sweet memories of their time together. The repetition of the line "you're still climbing up with me" in the chorus emphasizes the importance of this connection, whether it is a memory or a spiritual bond.
The song is very open to interpretation and can relate to a variety of emotional experiences. It speaks to the power of memory and its ability to bring us comfort and healing. The lyrics suggest that even though someone may be physically gone from our life, they can still live on in our memories and hearts. This song is a beautiful tribute to the concept of cherishing memories, whether they are joyful or painful.
Line by Line Meaning
So tonight I'm sleeping under the stars
I'm choosing to spend the night outdoors and gaze at the stars.
Cuz I feel it
I have a strong sense, a gut feeling about this experience.
And you're climbing up with me
You're joining me, either physically or emotionally.
Your absence used to rip me apart
When you were not with me, it would cause me great emotional pain.
When I close my eyes
During times of reflection or rest, when I shut out the world.
You're still climbing up with me
Despite your physical absence, you are still present in my thoughts and emotions.
Tonight, I'm sleeping under the stars
Once again, I have chosen to spend the night outdoors and gaze at the stars.
Your absence used to rip me apart
Again, reflecting on the pain of your absence in the past.
When I close my eyes
Continuing the theme of introspection and rest.
You're climbing up with me
Once again, affirming that despite physical distance, you are still with me emotionally.
In my Memory
Summarizing the overall theme of the song - the power of memories to keep us connected to those we love, even when they are no longer physically present.
Contributed by Skyler O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tshepothamana1245
Much Love Tom All The Way From South Africa ❤🇿🇦🔥
So tonight I'm sleeping under the stars
'Cause I feel it
And you're climbing up with me
Your absence used to rip me apart
When I close my eyes
You're still climbing up with me
Tonight, I'm sleeping under the stars
'Cause I feel it
And you're climbing up with me
Your absence used to rip me apart
When I close my eyes
You're climbing up with me
In my memory
Source: Musixmatch
@donnettethomas7637
My son's life was taken early this year he was only seventeen. He Loved this song rest In peace son.
@becomemoreeveryday
This song made me fully break down when I first heard it. So, so good. Big props to Tom Misch.
@sharonsabino8939
Music like this is just so peaceful to me. It's a paradise that only I get lost in.
@tshepothamana1245
Much Love Tom All The Way From South Africa ❤🇿🇦🔥
So tonight I'm sleeping under the stars
'Cause I feel it
And you're climbing up with me
Your absence used to rip me apart
When I close my eyes
You're still climbing up with me
Tonight, I'm sleeping under the stars
'Cause I feel it
And you're climbing up with me
Your absence used to rip me apart
When I close my eyes
You're climbing up with me
In my memory
Source: Musixmatch
@BossBabies3
Jaehyun are so good in noticing a masterpiece
@lyabatrisyia3558
his music taste never dissapoints us
@user-df2qz9mm7h
Exactly he is the reason y I am here
@jjcallmejj8953
No, he is not
@aliceboyblue
This is the perfect song to compliment this rainy day, grey skies, Tom in the background, baking. Sets the mood right. His music knows how to touch you and in all the right spots.
@Woolstone
man when the singing kicks in and the chord progressions come jeezus it's so beautiful lol