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.”
South of the River
Tom Misch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the chains and the gold
We could be out here together
But, you have places to go
Watching the sunshine blaze the gray
I don't know why you wouldn't stay
You should come south of the river
You should come south of the river
This is where it all starts
I think that we could stay here forever
Lie on the roof 'til it's dark
And when the last bus pulls away
I swear that I almost heard you say
"I should move south of the river"
I want to get to know
I want to get to know, oh
I want to stay south of the river
The lyrics to Tom Misch's song South Of The River are about a person who wants to stay south of the river with all the good things in life. The chains and the gold may represent material possessions, which the singer wants to enjoy with the person he is addressing in the song. The singer expresses the desire for them both to be there together, but acknowledges that the other person has other places to go.
The second verse expands on the scenic beauty of the south of the river, where the sunshine blazes the grey skies. The singer is puzzled about why the other person would not want to stay in such a beautiful place. He then suggests that they could stay there forever, hanging out together and enjoying the rooftop views until it gets dark.
Lastly, the singer mentions that when the last bus pulls away, he almost heard the other person say that they should move south of the river, indicating that the other person is attracted to the same idea. The song ends with the singer expressing the desire to get to know the other person better, which could be interpreted as romantic interest or simply friendship.
Overall, the song is a laid-back, optimistic tune about enjoying the simpler things in life and escaping the hustle and bustle of city life.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to stay south of the river
The singer desires to stay in the southern part of town.
With the chains and the gold
The area has both its good and bad aspects.
We could be out here together
The singer would like the other person to join them in the southern part of town.
But, you have places to go
The other person has other obligations.
Watching the sunshine blaze the gray
The artist is admiring the beauty of the moment.
I don't know why you wouldn't stay
The singer doesn't understand why the other person wouldn't want to stay as well.
You should come south of the river
The singer advises the other person to come to the southern part of town.
Where the loving is gold
The artist implies that this area is where the love is.
This is where it all starts
The artist believes this area is the perfect place to begin something new.
I think that we could stay here forever
The artist imagines staying in the southern part of town indefinitely.
Lie on the roof 'til it's dark
The singer pictures spending time with the other person on a roof until nightfall.
And when the last bus pulls away
The artist is aware of the practicalities of living in the southern part of town.
I swear that I almost heard you say
The singer thought they heard the other person agree with them.
"I should move south of the river"
The singer imagines the other person conceding that they should move to the southern part of town.
I want to get to know
The singer asserts their desire to become better acquainted with the other person.
I want to get to know, oh
The artist emphasizes their eagerness to get to know the other person.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JESSICA CARMODY NATHAN, THOMAS ABRAHAM MISCH, TOBIAS LAWRENCE TRIPP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Braya Simbaan
LIRICS
I want to stay South of the River
With the chains and the gold
We could be out here together;
But, you have places to go
Watching the sunshine blaze the gray
I don't know why you wouldn't stay
You should come South of the River
Where the loving is gold
You should come South of the River
This is where it all starts
I think that we could stay here forever
Lie on the roof til' it's dark
And when the last bus pulls away
I swear that I almost heard you say
"I should move South of the River."
I want to get to know
I want to get to know, oh
I want to stay South of the River
Mufaro Mugwenhi
I want to stay south of the river
With the chains and the gold
We could be out here together
But, you have places to go
Watching the sunshine blaze the gray
I don't know why you wouldn't stay
You should come south of the river
Where the loving is gold
You should come south of the river
This is where it all starts
I think that we could stay here forever
Lie on the roof 'til it's dark
And when the last bus pulls away
I swear that I almost heard you say
"I should move south of the river"
I want to get to know
I want to get to know, oh
I want to stay south of the river
Tom Misch
New album "What Kinda Music" out now!! ☄️ https://whatkindamusic.lnk.to/album
Stanislav Dimitrov
Dude your music is so fresh I love it.Tidal wave was my summer song this year and the little mask on the sign was a great touch .
Wanderlust
My kind of jam!
Kelly Jimenez
MINE TOO!!!♥️♥️♥️♥️🙋♀️
Elevated Jam Tracks
this on repeat at work means I don't want kill myself quite as much
MG MG
Do you work at Walmart?
Gene Caberra
feel ya
Elevated Jam Tracks
@Joost Dohmen Awesome! For sure I am a music lover. This was before YouTube became a full time thing which I absolutely love!
Joost Dohmen
I really like your backing tracks. Besides that you seem a music lover and I see you comment on all kinds of music. Keep up the good work man!
Khai Le
I am so glad this dude is like 22 years old. That means my whole lifetime I will be blessed by this guy's music.