Tom Misch has spoken to NME about taking time off to recover from burnout and return with ‘Full Circle’, his first solo album in eight years.
A young Misch rose to fame in the mid-2010s when his unique blend of jazz, electronica, hip-hop found fans online via SoundCloud and Youtube. Before long, he was collaborating with Loyle Carner as part of the vibrant South London scene and dropped his acclaimed debut album ‘Geography‘ in 2018, before 2020’s ‘What Kinda Music’ – a collaborative album with Yussef Dayes. Both records smashed the UK top 10 and saw his star rise higher and higher.
It was in 2022 on the eve of an Australian tour that he realised he had to put the brakes on, “taking a step back” from all the “intensity” that comes with success and the treadmill of the music industry.
“I needed to give it space and take the pressure off,” Misch told NME, as the singer-songwriter and producer gears up for a huge comeback show at London’s KOKO. “A lot of space opens up a lot of questions and evaluation about who you are or what kind of life you want to live. That’s really scary and can be quite uncomfortable. There’s a lot of value if you can do that, but we’re often just so busy in some sort of rat race or building something that we don’t have time to stop.
“I’m fortunate enough that I’ve had success, which allowed me to really stop and just work out what I want to do.”
While releasing the album ‘Happy Music’ as Supershy in 2023, Misch has largely let music take a backseat to finding himself over the last four years – even picking up jobs as a barista and gardener. A key moment of his recovery is captured on ‘Echo From The Flames’, a highlight from new album ‘Full Circle’, released last week (Friday March 27). “I’m burning out, face down in the ashes – I’m reaching up, no one’s there to catch it,” he pines on the heartfelt acoustic number, a departure from his previous sound.
“It’s talking about a period where I had my intense burnout, breakdown, whatever you want to call it,” said Misch. “I was back at my parents’ house and I was basically a vegetable. I was just fully out of it and really just not there. I was in quite a bad place. I was just sitting by the fire every night, and I’d just be looking into the fire and I just found it very calming.
“I’d retreated into myself, and that song talks about that moment.”
Check out the rest of our interview with Misch below, where he opened up about returning to the stage, the long road to recovery, and his advice for others struggling to keep up with the pressures of the modern world.
NME: Hello Tom. How does it feel to be back in the eye of the storm after so long away?
Tom Misch: “It’s a process. There was the initial high adrenaline release day, but it feels good. I’ve had such nice feedback. People are singing along to the new music at the shows, which has been incredible.”
Even back in 2018 you told NME, “When I finished ‘Geography’, I kinda felt like, ‘fuck making music for a couple of years’”. What can you tell us about the whirlwind that followed and when you realised it was time to pause?
“Eight years is such a long time. It catapulted me into a different space where I was suddenly playing bigger shows around the world. It was very exciting, but it wasn’t like I’d dreamt of that or being a performing artist since I was a young child. I love music, but it’s a hobby that became something else. It was a combination of luck and just putting out a lot of music.
“My 20s were just a lot of ‘Tom Misch’ stuff, and not so much working out who I was outside of that. That’s what’s been so good about the last four years: I’ve had space to just explore other things and that’s been really great.”
Taking a break from social media is hard enough, but it’s something else to step away from the music industry as a whole…
“It was great. I’d much rather not be on social media. I’ve had a lot of working out how I want to get back to music and how I want to do things this time around. This is really just a process of seeing how it feels.
“This is quite a soft release. I’m not much promo or playing many gigs, I’m not desperate to promote the album, I’m just doing a couple of select things. I want to enjoy my career. If I’m not enjoying it then there’s no point. I really don’t want success without enjoyment and feeling calm. It’s not worth it otherwise, and that’s where I’m at.”
How did you get from a place or burnout to enjoying music again?
“With getting back into my body, alternative therapies and all the things that I’ve tried, it’s just been a journey. Figuring out my relationship with music is something I’m still navigating. I just can’t see it as a job. Music comes naturally to me. If I’m feeling good and living a life that I feel content with then music just kind of comes out. That’s how I want it to be. This year, I want to put some focus into some other things.
“I’m not quite sure what it is yet, but maybe working in a school for two or three days a week, maybe studying something. Music will just happen around that. I’ll tell my manager that if I want to do a gig, it has to be around my schedule of other stuff. “
You’ve had jobs in cafes, gardening, even flirting with the idea of working for the Post Office. What do you get out of that?
“Having to do something, often physical or having to interact with people, it puts you in a different space. When I’m back at home and feel like I want to be creative, it’s after doing other things. I find myself more productive in music if I’m doing other things.”
You’ve been up and down the country playing open mic nights with Joel Culpepper as well as anonymous gigs and small shows in Brighton and Kingston. How’s that been, compared to what you were used to?
“I really loved those. I knew I was going to release this album and play some shows so I needed to get back on stage in a low-pressure environment. There was a bit of me thinking, ‘Can I still perform? Am I going to freak out?’ It’s been four years and I don’t naturally want to get on stage.
“I’m a relatively introverted person. I thought I’d do some warm-up stuff and I really enjoyed the fact that half the time no one was listening. I’ve never had that before. Every time I’d performed before had been a high-pressure sold out show. That’s great and I’m grateful for that, but I like those low-pressure environments. I never got to do those venues before. My first show was a sold out Bussey Building.”
And now you’re about to play two nights at KOKO in London. That’s pretty big. What can we expect?
“We’ve got a really special show. We’ve done a lot of rehearsals and the new songs just work so well live. I’ve got an amazing band, and I’m excited. KOKO’s great; it’s going to feel intimate but bigger than what we’ve been doing. We’ve got some guests coming up as I’ve collaborated a lot in the past.”
Now that you’re back in the saddle on your own terms, how do you feel about the future? Will it be another long wait for an album?
“There are a few different things I want to do. I did want to go to Australia and just spend six months seeing what it’s like there. I’ve heard I’d love the lifestyle there. I’m not moving house and going to be renting somewhere for 12-months so that’s not going to happen.
“I’m going to lean into routine and being creative. I do want to get back into the studio. It’s a big relief to have this album out because it’s a shock to a lot of people. It’s not the ‘Tom Misch sound’ that’s become well-known through ‘Geography’ and the more produced neo-soul jazzy thing. This is really where I’ve been at for a while. The music I’m listening to and making is more intimate, folky, live and ‘70s-sounding. Now it feels that I can continue without the pressure. It’s all about the songs for me right now. I want to write and get into the studio with some musicians.”
What your advice be for people approaching burnout, or in fear of what intense working life or the music industry can take from them?
“Take time to listen to yourself and really check in. There were a lot of times where in hindsight I was really not OK. I was continuing to do things because I was getting praise for it and I didn’t want to let down other people involved. It’s OK to stop. People feel that they really need to keep pushing or they’ll lose momentum or people will forget due to the algorithm.
“There’s no point doing this if you don’t enjoy it. You’ll make your best art when you’re healthy.”
‘Full Circle’ by Tom Misch is out now. He performs two intimate shows at KOKO in London tonight (Wednesday April 1) and tomorrow (Thursday April 2). Visit here for tickets and more information.
For further help and advice on mental health:
- “Am I depressed?” – Help and advice on mental health and what to do next
- MITC – A collective of musician industry therapists
- TONIC Rider – Bespoke training and support for music industry professionals
- Help Musicians UK – Around the clock mental health support and advice for musicians
- Music Support Org – Help and support for musicians struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or mental health issues
- YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
- CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably