After some time away to rebuild his relationship with music, fresh off the back of two hometown comeback shows, the virtuoso talks to Dinesh Mattu about the songs that shaped his latest artistic era.
Inside KOKO there’s a noticeable stillness.
Underneath the chatter, the clinks and hum, punters shuffle through the balconies and await a familiar figure absent from the stage for the better part of four years. The theatre’s crimson glow slowly rises and the noise dissipates. When the guitar-laden hero finally steps out, the reaction feels like a warm embrace rather than a rapturous explosion.
Journeying back eight years ago, hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed debut Geography, Tom Misch sold out a string of dates including runs across Europe, the US, a slate of festival slots and a joyous, disco-laden lap of honour at Brixton Academy.
Today the Tom Misch standing onstage feels far removed from the beatmaker who once built tightly wound grooves around MPC samples with Dilla-esque precision on Beat Tape 2 and the Soulection White Label.
For most artists, a four-year absence can feel like a lifetime. For Misch, those years were marked by introspection and a gradual dismantling of the creative identity that had defined his rise. Ruminating over that 2018 run, he says, “Towards the end of the Geography era, playing those shows, I was just a bit done with it.”
It’s an admission which reframes the previous tour somewhat, in a way that feels less of a destination and more of a closing chapter. What he didn’t know then was that he was preparing to usher in a new artistic life. One that would be fraught with anxiety, pain, and questioning, but a road worth travelling down to shake off his Neo-Soul beatmaker label to become an entirely different artist.
“I've become more existential I think over the last four years,” he says, “I’ve been on a real journey. A quarter life crisis, or whatever you want to call it.”
Settling into conversation from his London flat, chewing over leftovers and reflecting on the time between his London shows, Misch speaks with a thoughtful cadence of someone still piecing together what the past few years have truly meant.
"It was incredible. I hadn't performed for four years. I'd done a couple of warm-up shows before that and a few open-mic-type things, but KOKO was pretty crazy."
Part of that, he thinks, was the room itself.
"It's a smaller venue than I could have played, so the people who were there really wanted to be there. Very attentive crowds, which I don’t remember having,” he says, “There was a lot of love in the room.”
It’s a bond forged well over a decade, and one which has ripened with time, he thinks. “It's interesting because I'm older, the people listening to my music have aged with me, so there’s this deeper connection that they have with me,” he says, “I’m not the new kid on the block anymore.”
Stepping out of Logic Pro and into a studio filled with vintage mics, tape machines, and fellow musicians, Misch returned to music at its most exposed. “Full Circle was challenging because I suddenly had to up my songwriting game,” he explains. “If you have bad lyrics over just strumming some chords it’s not going to work. You can have a nice jazzy groove and get away with stuff because it's just a vibe.”
Working closely with Matt Maltese, Ian Fitchuk and Adam Jaffrey, the album was run to tape, with an intentional nod to the warm tones of ‘70s hi-fi records. “I'm less autonomous now because I like to write with people,” he tells me, “I’m not foremost a lyricist. I obviously get very involved and I want to talk about what's going on for me, but I don't actually sit down and write songs by myself.”
So when asked to select nine songs tied to this latest chapter, Misch offers something more revealing than simply a list of his favourites. “A lot of these songs capture something organic and emotional. They have a sense of space and expansiveness that I was really drawn to.”
In tow, they form a loose emotional cartography of Full Circle, his latest and most complete work to date, and the truest reflection of who Tom Misch is at present. “I was thinking about that whole era and the whole thing I was going for. A lot of this stuff in some shape or form I’d been listening to while I was making the record.”
Reference pieces for the album, groove-driven anthems and inspired songwriting, all music that soundtracked a sustained period of healing, ageing and growth.
“The other thing they all have in common is that they’re all live. I've moved away from beats. I was really a beatmaker, that's what Geography was, that’s Beat Tape 2 was,” he says, “Diving into the live element, listening to records how people used to make them with bands and live takes; it was amazing.”
From the quiet double-tracked vocals of JJ Cale to the intimate lyrical sensibilities of Adrienne Lenker, his Nine Songs selections are rooted in simplicity, songcraft and honesty. In unison, acting as a set of coordinates marking the route back to himself.
“Fire and Rain” by James Taylor
BEST FIT: Do you remember when you first heard "Fire and Rain"? How did you come across it?
TOM MISCH: I originally heard a cover of this song by Richie Havens, and I discovered it through his version actually. I thought [Havens] wrote this, and that’s how I discovered James Taylor, then that’s how I discovered a lot of Folk music and Folk songwriting. And he’s from that classic American songbook and just one of those classic artists.
It’s a really beautiful song, and Richie Havens has a real, soulful, grounded thing going on with his voice. And it's a live record, it’s from these two live shows that they collated and made into this project.
The simplicity of the lyrics is really a testament to how effectively this song conveys honesty, vulnerability, and humility. Is that something you were drawn to when making Full Circle?
I was drawn to the honesty of it. He wrote this about a friend that committed suicide and he ended up writing this song very soon afterwards - or maybe the next day. I guess I’ve become more existential over the last four years, I think. I’ve been asking a lot of questions, and I seem to be drawn to tracks like this. Tracks that sound like they’ve come from someone who's lived. Someone who’s lived through a lot of ups and downs and feels very real. It’s a classic song.
I’ve definitely been through the quarter life crisis myself. I burnt out, left my job, went traveling, and there was lots of inward reflection in that period, but I think I’m better for it.
I feel like it gives you a deeper understanding going through that stuff, it gives you more empathy and more capacity to understand things.
“Old Man” by Neil Young
Neatly segueing into the next track, and a direct influence on your own song of the same name. Tell me, why did this resonate with you?
I think initially it wasn't even the lyrics necessarily. It was the sonics of these ‘70s records. The way they're mixed, the tape machines, the way they’ve engineered these records - I love that.
The chorus is so beautiful too, and the dissonance in the verses with that guitar part. Then lyrically, it's such a beautiful talking point. The way he’s drawing parallels between him and this old farmer; this old man. Once again, similar to “Fire and Rain” it captures a lot of humanity. It feels very deep. I just love it. It’s got a Country thing that I've been getting into as well.
There’s something almost imperfect about the way he delivers his vocals.
It’s very human, I agree. It's raw, it's really raw. He has a weird voice, but it's so signature.
Do you think imperfection is something you embraced more recently, or do you think you're a perfectionist at heart?
I think I am a perfectionist, but I'm more interested now in the imperfections and leaning into that. I remember having a conversation with someone about - I don't know whether it's linked to AI subconsciously or something - but that we’re being more drawn to human performances.
I think Full Circle was more of a step in that direction, but it was still quite a produced album. We spent a lot of time producing it, but I’m working on a new thing now and I want it to be more raw and live.
It’s interesting you say that because to me Full Circle feels so stripped back versus the Beat Tape / Geography era. All your previous work was very production-led, very ‘on-the-grid’ whereas this feels like everyone’s in a room together?
Yes, everyone's in the room together, that's exactly it!
I don’t think people have really seen that before from you.
I don't think they have, and I think I want to continue to do that. I was very anxious putting this out. It took a lot for me to make that record because it's a big step in that direction.
“Slow Burn” by Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves is someone who I think is so underrated, and this album in particular, Golden Hour is one of my favourites. What did this teach you about creative patience and slowing down?
I heard this track and I was like, “Oh, this is really amazing. Who produced it?” And I was looking for someone to help me with my record. This guy called Ian Fitchuck produced it from Nashville. So then I ended up working with Ian on the record. I went to Nashville for a month and did a lot of Full Circle there with him.
This is a significant track, because it just led me to him. He’s doing Pop but with live musicians and great songwriting. This guy called Daniel Tashian wrote this tune with Kasey, and he also did some of the tracks on Full Circle with me. It led me to Nashville to make Full Circle, so that wouldn’t have happened without this track.
What was it like in Nashville compared to where you’ve recorded elsewhere?
It’s a real music town. Everyone - I mean everyone - plays something, and everyone's sick. Whatever instrument, you go into a bar, there's a band playing in every bar Downtown. They really have music in their blood. It's got a big music culture. There’s amazing studios across Nashville, where they record in the old school way, with people in the room. So, that's what led me there.
What was that period like personally?
During the time of the record, I had awful anxiety stuff going on. I was basically on the edge of a panic attack for the whole month, which is something that's come up for me over the last four years, and partly why I took time away.
I remember just being a vegetable. So it was just like, “I've got to go to the studio. I feel awful but I'm making progress and I'm writing music.” I didn't want to go and drink and go Downtown. There’s a big drinking culture in Nashville, everyone goes Downtown and parties I ended up eating a lot of good food and getting the scooters, going around on the bikes and exploring.
There’s a nice park that I discovered - we saw a bit of live music, but honestly, I was exhausted from the studio days, doing at least five days a week. Long days. And it was emotionally draining as well, that period.
“Lay It All Down” by John Martyn
There's a looseness in this track, what drew you to this?
I think his guitar playing and his vocals are so signature, he's got a real woozy thing going on. It is very loose the way he sings. The double bass is so interesting on this too. It's just guitar, double bass and vocal. It’s such a cool trio, you don’t hear that often.
I think him and Danny Thompson toured a lot together, they had a real chemistry. I thought it was a beautiful track, and once again, it’s got that sense of expanse and that kind of “coming home” feeling. I haven't really thought about what he's talking about to be honest, it’s just the vibe you get.
I get what you mean, I'm probably more drawn to the beat before I come to the lyrics generally. What are you more drawn to?
I'm a musician foremost, that's what I like. I'm drawn to that. I think initially you're just taking it in, the whole vibe, then on second or third listen I'm tuning in and discovering stuff in the vocal.
Coming from a beat-making background, did you find that shift quite hard?
Yes, that's why Full Circle was challenging, because I suddenly had to up my songwriting game. If you have bad lyrics over strumming some chords it's not going to work, whereas you can have a nice jazzy groove and get away with stuff because it's just a vibe. So it's interesting.
How has your approach to crafting music changed?
It's been challenging because I'm less autonomous now. I like to write with people. I'm not foremost a lyricist, and I obviously get very involved and I want to talk about what's going on for me, but I don't actually sit down and write songs by myself, so it slowed down that process. I did a lot of the record with Matt Maltese, whereas before I was just banging out a beat and singing something.
What did he teach you about writing better songs?
I think he's an incredible songwriter. He writes quite classic-feeling songs. There's a lot of humour in his songs too, which I think is really cool. He's very much got his own style, and I feel like we really connected.
He's a very sensitive songwriter. And we get on well - it just works, you know? I guess I bring a bit more of the chords and melody, whereas he brings the lyricism, so it's a good collaboration.
“Cherry” by J.J. Cale
This one is quite restrained. JJ Cale’s music is so subtle and laid back; who introduced you to him?
So a girl called Yelena put me onto this - shoutout to Yelena! She told me about JJ Cale and then played me some of his stuff. The way he double tracks his vocals is what I was really drawn to I think; this relaxed, DIY vibe he's got going on.
He did a lot of it himself, he had a little tape machine, a microphone recorder and I think I was drawn to the double tracked vocals.
I was listening to a lot of '70s music at the time. He's got a track called “Magnolia” that I love. I really love that track, but “Cherry” influenced “Red Moon” on the record.
Double tracking the vocals, recording to tape - was that important in the production of the record?
Yes, everything was done to tape. There was a lot of searching for the right tones. We spent a lot of time trying to get the right guitar sounds and stuff like that, which is quite long.
And you had a vintage mic setup too, right?
I had a vintage U47, which is the Frank Sinatra mic used on all these classic old records. It's like the Holy Grail of mics, so I bought one of those and I was like, “This is my mic now!”
It captures a lot of low end, and previously on Geography I'd take out that low end on my vocal to fit it into such a produced, hard-hitting track, but I think the way I process my vocal is more organic now.
It feels a lot more spacious in the way it’s been mixed and mastered as well. Have you felt more confident leaving a bit more space in your music?
I have felt more confident, because I think the songs have been better and I've also leaned into my voice more. I remember thinking when I was making the record that I wanted to strip back everything and work out what was me at my core. There's a lot of that existential stuff going on.
I was asking myself, “Who am I?” and “What’s me if I were to take away all these production things?”
I kind of got pigeon-holed as this Neo Soul-guitar-bedroom guy so it was trying to strip that back I think. Taking those things away and figuring out, “What do I sound like when it's just me and a guitar?” Then building up from there.
“Morning” by Beck
Moving out of the '70s to 2014. There’s a beautiful sadness to this, it’s so reflective, why this one from Beck?
I love the emotion in this track, and the expanse again. I feel like I'm repeating myself, but that's because a lot of these tracks are that for me, and that’s where I was at.
But this is like the ultimate expanse for me. I was doing a lot of walking in that period, I was walking in Cornwall, spending time in nature, and it’s tracks like these that used to soundtrack those environments for me, being by the sea. I went to see Beck play at Royal Albert Hall and it was an incredible show. I didn't know much about him at the time, but I was like, “Wow, this guy is insane.” Incredible. So prolific.
And someone who maybe doesn't really get the plaudits he deserves.
Yes, he's really evolved as well and gone through so many different eras.
You mentioned nature, being outside, and reconnecting with the environment. Something you talked about previously is how the record was written and made near bodies of water. Is that something that's creeped into the record?
Definitely! I was living in Cornwall for three months, I spent time in Portugal while making the record. And I think it’s that thing of just reconnecting with nature. I basically had a breakdown of sorts, so then I was rebuilding and asking, “Who am I?” Water is a big part of my life. I love water, I love swimming, I love being in the ocean, I love surfing. I feel like I spent a lot of time in those places - again it’s the expanse.
And you taught at a surf school?
I did an instructor training course. I was learning to teach surf, stand up paddle boarding, life guarding. It was interesting!
“Sadness as a Gift” by Adrianne Lenker
This is such a vulnerable track. She’s someone who writes with so much intimacy. What do you admire about an artist like Adrienne?
My sister, Laura, put me onto Adrienne and she was like, “I think you'll love the way this record is recorded initially,” so I just initially heard that. I think it's the other one she did during lockdown with the paint as the artwork [songs], which I just loved.
With this I was, like, “Wow, it sounds like you're really in the room with her,” so that was my initial feeling, it’s so intimate. And then what she’s speaking about - it’s so real. It’s real and it’s hearty and she's just not trying to be anyone else.
I was like “Shit, she's an amazing songwriter - her lyrics!”, but then she’s also doing something again so classic, but so contemporary. There's something bittersweet about a lot of her lyrics, but then there's a lot of love. It’s deep music.
Do you feel like that perspective deepens your creativity? Does leaning into the uncertainty give you more space to create a track like this?
Definitely, but it also shows me my limitations, because she's just an absolute poet. And I'm not. I'm foremost a musician and I'm exploring songwriting, but she's a wizard with words. I think that’s part of her magic. She puts together these incredible combinations of words and there's a lot of depth in her music that I don’t have - I haven’t even scratched the surface really.
Do you think becoming more emotionally open changes your relationship with your audience?
I think so. I think it's a new audience in many ways. I think I'm going to get different fans as I continue to release music in this space that I'm in. Some people who loved Geography will like the new stuff, they might have evolved and their tastes have changed, or they just might be more into the jazzy, groovy, Neo Soul stuff or the hard-hitting drums.
I actually would love to be able to make stuff like that, but I can't. I've tried, and I just can't. I don't know how I made stuff like that, I just did, I was a different person.
So I can only do what I can do now, which is the stuff I'm making, but it definitely does change. I was amazed how receptive the crowd was [at KOKO] - to both the new songs and the old songs.
“Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits
A hugely iconic groove, tell me a little more about how this influenced your new era.
It’s something band-y, sonically I love it, it’s so ‘70s. Mark Knopfler is an incredible guitarist. I actually don't listen to much of his guitar playing honestly - but there's something about it, it’s just a classic, big, iconic guitar track.
It’s actually not connected to “Sultans of Silence,” that's just coincidence. It's funny, I don't really have any tracks on Full Circle that sound like this one, so I'm surprised I put it in the list. I think maybe I wanted to have something like this on the record, but I didn’t get around to doing it properly.
Is it more about the groove and the musicianship?
Exactly, having people playing around you. They’re real musicians and they’re virtuosos - I’m drawn to that as well. What I love about this track is that musicianship is completely at the forefront.
It's live, it's human, and there's so much personality in the way it's put together. You can hear it in the music. That's something I've become increasingly interested in.
Which you’re leaning into more?
I am on this new stuff. I'm leaning into it much more. I'm going old school. I’m excited.
“The Magician” by Andy Shauf”
The storytelling on this track is incredible. It feels very introspective and observational. What do you enjoy most about writing from that perspective?
Ian Fitchuk put me on this, and this was a reference in the studio when we were working Full Circle.
Initially, it wasn't even the lyrics that grabbed me, it was the production, the drum sound, the interesting textures. It feels quite anthemic with that melody that comes in. Such an interesting use of textures with the instruments.
So it was more of a sonic reference than a lyrical one?
Yes, to be honest, I haven't dived into the lyricism too much on this one. I'm not really drawn to the lyrics so much, even though that's obviously a huge part of what makes Andy Shauf so special. It sits in an interesting space of this experimental, indie - I don't know what you call it, really, but I am drawn to this kind of music. And Andy Shauf is amazing. I really like what he does.
Were there many contemporary reference points like this alongside all the older music you were listening to?
Honestly, not really. I wasn't listening to loads of new music while I was making the album. Most of what I was listening to was older.
If these Nine Songs map your creative journey of this era, what's next? What can we expect to hear in the future?
I was quite inspired by all the rehearsals and playing the live shows. I've developed a bit of chemistry with the band, so there's something going on there that excites me and I want to explore more of that.
I think I've done something very expansive and sparse, and now I want to contrast that. I want something with a bit more energy and a bit more grit. I want to continue to hopefully write good songs but with live musicians in the room. And maybe even write for other artists.
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