In this series, I explore the grassroots music scene, examining the key players, their roles, and the insights they can offer to Joyzine and its readers.
Tuudi is a London-based alternative-pop artist and producer whose music blends immersive storytelling with ethereal, introspective songwriting, wrapped in cinematic soundscapes and electronic influences.
How did you get into making music?
In my childhood/early teens I wrote notebooks upon notebooks of lyrics and song ideas which I kept completely secret. Creds to being the quiet kid. So it wasn’t until I started exploring alternative and electronic music whilst studying contemporary dance choreography as a teen that I even contemplated making my own music beyond writing lyrics. I’d spend forever compiling playlists to choreograph and dance to (like Gesaffelstein, Bjork, Grimes, and Floating Points), figuring out if they portrayed the emotions and story I wanted to tell. I eventually decided I wanted to write and create songs that created the same feeling and from then began learning how to produce.
You clearly put a lot of thought and effort into your promo, it really stands out. Is that something you genuinely enjoy doing?
Yes, of course. I’m very much inspired to write by experiencing things, like art, films, books etc. Creating little visual motifs for my releases feels like little extensions of the worlds written into them, a little part of their souls. The idea for the cover art for my new EP came to me whilst going through some old makeup and finding little pearls from a festival I went to a couple of years ago, I spent almost 5 hours sticking them to my face in my living room to then take my own self-portraits in this character I created… the Villain in pearls.
Your new track “Lying Here” is fantastic. Can you tell us more about the creative process behind it, and the inspiration for those incredible masks and makeup?
Lying Here is a part of this overarching concept of the ‘Villain in Pearls’ who embodies ideas like hyper-capitalism, overconsumption, and emotional burdens. The guilt we face to make the world a better place whilst large corporations get away with major unethical practices. Everything I use in visuals is thrifted, the makeup look created by an awesome MUA (@curseye) in the promo kind of reflects that character in an ironic way. Lying Here talks about a high-paced city and emotional conflict too.
What can we expect musically from Tuudi in the near future?
I’m gonna release some fun tracks soon, some dancey ones which are a bit more pop. Think electroclash, girly vibes that doesn’t take itself toooo seriously. I’m now in a wave of fully producing for myself and it’s been so fun to explore new synths and sounds. I’ve also started producing for other artists so keep an eye out for that!
You’ve played several EMOMs and an Electroniq show, and it’s clear you’re growing as an artist. Do you enjoy performing live, and where do you see Tuudi in a few years?
I looooove performing. It’s a place where I can feel myself, even though in real life I’m quite introverted. My favourite parts are getting a shy crowd to join in on some audience participation or to dance. In a few years, I hope to be headlining some of my own shows and performing as an opening act for some more established acts.
Which artist would you most love to support?
I’d love to support Magdelena Bay! I think they also create really interesting worlds with their music. I put their music on when I want to escape, and I love their production with its awesome array of synths and little video game style sounds. I also love their surrealist visual style which is often giving David Lynch. They’re film enthusiasts just like me!
Have you got any shows coming up?
I do! I have one on the 17th of Feb at The Old Dispensary in Camberwell and another on 12th March in east with some friends which will have some artist pop ups too. Follow my bandsintown, I always post my gigs up there.
Tuudi socials | Instagram | Bandcamp | TikTok | YouTube
Article by Mr Laurence
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