Exposed Vocals Interviews Tuusc

Tuusc (pronounced tusk) got started in 2015. with a desire to focus on writing good music and self releasing through channels like bandcamp and soundcloud. Tuusc was an idea that grew out of wanting to share music, without worrying about labels, trying to tour, or management, “these things are very valuable and when the right relationship is struck it can be magic, but on the other hand, having bad decisions made on your behalf is toxic and ultimately destructive, I want to work with people who care about good music and understand how delicate that is”.

Based in Bristol Tuusc intends to continue to make his brand of alternative downtempo guitar based darkpop regardless of the outcome and so far his music has turned some serious heads allowing him to work with people such as Robert L Smith (Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga) on tracks like ‘Holding on to you’ and Lines we walk’. Tuusc is a sound, a new sound, and definitely a sound you will not be disappointed with.

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

Tuusc: I was born in Brecon, Wales, but I grew up in England. My parent separated when I was around one so it was just me, my mum and my sister. My mum worked 2 or 3 jobs at a time and we didn’t have a lot of money so I have memories of being taken to work and put in a small room or cupboard with a Beano comic whilst mum would work her cleaning jobs. My step dad was around not too long after that.

I decided to become a musician because I wasn’t good at anything else. I would get bullied in school and I had no athletic skills so music just ended up being my thing and it was really the first thing I stuck at. I didn’t really discover music though until I was around 16 or 17, I don’t know what I was doing before, but I got lucky and was a natural so things just spiralled from there.

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

Tuusc: Unfortunately there isn’t any great story, I was sat at my computer typing in letters. I knew it should be bold and short, I wanted something like ‘Tusk’ but that was too common a word so I just changed the spelling to give it an individual identity. I didn’t think about it much more than that.

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

Tuusc: I think it’s great and I give my music away free quite a lot, usually for a period of time and then I put it up on Bandcamp to buy for peanuts, who the fuck makes money from selling their songs anymore? Times have changed and I think it’s important to change with it. Music is made to be heard and whatever is going on with the industry, that has to be the most important thing.

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Tuusc: I don’t think I’m in any position to give tips but at a push I would say, get good at being self sufficient, making music is a tiny part of trying to be successful, you have to be good at everything, use social media and plan things out, learn how to record, and mix yourself and make your own videos to a high standard, that way you will keep funds for things that are really important!

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

Tuusc: I’m not sure I have a ‘process’, I just write when I feel I need to, sometimes that will be every day for a month and then other times it will be once every two months, I just make sire that when I write I record and demo so that I always have stuff to work on even when I’m not making new songs. I always take inspiration from new artists and unheard tracks, ‘After Dark’ by Oliver Daldry is the last song I heard that made me think, “I better get to work”.

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

Tuusc: I do have a website though I don’t really use it for promotion. I’m a social media guy, I use Facebook and Twitter, Instagram, the usual ones. Soundcloud has become the hub for my music by accident, while I was trying to get people listening to me on Spotify I had thousands of people listening on Soundcloud, so that one is my favourite at the moment.

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

Tuusc: I’d make an album with Ben Baptie, Ben and I went to school together and grew up in similar circles, he has done really well for himself and produces my favourite music so I would love to get him in a room and make a record from top to bottom, it would be a fucking great record!

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Tuusc: I use social media, I don’t play many shows which will change this year but I have some great and dedicated followers on my social platforms which blows my mind and I am thankful for!

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

Tuusc: I’m starting work on an EP, I’m about 2 songs in and it would be nice to have around 7 or 8 recorded to choose from, I’m not in any rush to do it, I want to find a great little label to work with on it if I can and perhaps try to get some funding to record rather than doing it all in my home studio.

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

Tuusc: Probably something in social media, I love how it works and I love the connectivity of it, why people use it and how it’s been the single biggest culture shift in recent years.

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

Tuusc: I don’t! I just crash through life hoping to land on my feet, I’m a terrible planner in my personal life which doesn’t help. I am a strong believer in making time though, the only people I don’t have time for are people that say they don’t have time.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?

Tuusc: Hopefully some live shows in small venues across the UK. It’s still early days and stages of planning though so I still don’t know when exactly but it’s in my brain which means it will happen!

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