26 February 2024
Every Monday I will be bringing you an interview with an independent band, duo or music artist. This week, I caught up with London based artist TUUDI to find out more…
Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
Originally from Bedfordshire, I grew up exploring the countryside and began writing songs on an old untuned piano at the age of 12. I was ridiculously quiet and would get back home from school and just sing and write, and get out all the words and feelings I couldn’t express. It was then my interest in choreographing contemporary dance which led me into a tunnel of research into a broad range of music. I’d be creating weird abstract dances to the likes of Gesaffelstein, Aloka and Bjork’s Biophilia. In 2018, I joined a dream-pop band and desperately wanted to explore electronic production and creating pop music, so I moved to London and studied sound engineering.
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
I loved David Bowie growing up… I even had a fan account on Instagram with thousands of followers dedicated to him at 17. I also loved Kate Bush, Bjork, Arcade Fire, Passion Pit, M83, Arcade Fire, New Order… These people were the underpin of the development of my creative process and sound. I wanted to be like them, I wanted to understand how they could create such great music!
Now, I’m influenced by the likes of Weyes Blood, AURORA, Isabel LaRosa, BANKS, Perfume Genius. I also love listening to a lot of electronic music… Like Four Tet, Aphex Twin, Locust, Rival Consoles. It’s a perfect London soundtrack, especially walking around in the cold. It gives me energy and I guess I love finding interesting sounds and anything that creates a world for a listener.
How would you describe your sound?
I always aim for my songs to be a huge mix of influences. My songs start off from a very experimental place, often trying to convey a feeling or situation, and then they gradually build up to branch into pop music. It often contains an electronic influenced bass line, with 80s influenced synths and arps, mixed with some hidden ethereal soundscapes. I’d like to think it takes you into a little world and provides a space for you to feel and get carried away. Lyrically, theres a lot of ethereal metaphors and visualisations, which I like to balance with earthy and animalistic imagery.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
My latest release is Just Like Before. A story of betrayal and regret in the aftermath of a breakup. A few months before writing this song I went through an intense breakup and the song Elegia by New Order was on my go to playlist through this experience. I was inspired by the guitar riff and tried to replicate the emotions I felt whilst listening to this song in my own way. I designed a harp on some software on my laptop, which became the main arpeggiated sound of the chorus.
It was then a quote by Maria V. Snyder which inspired this visual of a beast, which is present throughout the song. “”The heart is a strange beast and not ruled by logic””. It led me down a path of being very earthy and raw with my writing. I spoke about this feeling of heaviness, and how your emotions can impact you physically.
Overall, this song took the longest to write out of all the songs I’ve written. Over this time, I built into it a sense of memory and overthinking and looking into the past, whilst attempting to be present at the same time.
What’s your local music scene like?
I’m lucky to live in London. I have access to great artists performing live in great venues. However, there are so many smaller venues around London showing great artists who are super creative and inspiring. There is some really awesome performances combining digital art or interesting lighting design about at the moment!
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
I am releasing more singles over the year… but eventually I will be releasing an album! Of course, I am also looking forward to performing live too! I’m also going to be creating music videos which will involve quite a bit of dancing which I’m so excited to share!
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
Once, I decided I would record a live performance in the middle of a forest. So I took my laptop and all my equipment and hiked for miles through a forest to find a good place to perform. The performance was great! However, I ended up taking the wrong turn on the way back and walked for 2 and a half miles in the wrong direction! Completely lost… carrying around a keyboard stand, a keyboard and more. I eventually found my way and ended up running to my car in the last few minutes as it started raining too! But I found the most beautiful view of the countryside up at the top of a hill, so I guess the whole journey was worth it!
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
I love vintage shopping. In fact, the music video for my new single includes only second hand clothing, jewellery and props – apart from a headpiece (handmade) and a table cloth. My nan walked around countless charity shops with me over Christmas helping me find costumes!
You can find out more about TUUDI via Apple Music, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, Threads, TikTok or YouTube.
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