Mom Tudie Talks Virality, New Album ‘As The Crows’ & His Jazz Cafe Gig
Mom Tudie, aka Tom Mudie; London-based soul, hip hop musician and producer. Image credit: The Groove, Ella Faye Howcroft
’At the end of the day, I think people that are talented will get to where they need to be and will be champions for what they do.’
Tom Mudie loves a spoonerism – presenting Mom Tudie, the 30 year-old musician’s alter-ego.
After over a decade getting comfortable stuck in behind the scenes as an R&B, soul and jazz producer, ‘As The Crows’ is the Londoner’s second solo studio album. Twelve tracks long, it’s a journey through Mom Tudie’s instrumental talents and collaborative nature; featuring vocal samples from Tia Gorden, taves, Len Blake, August Charles and MaZz.
At the beautiful Blues Kitchen in Brixton, The Groove spoke to Mom Tudie about the process behind making this album, what it’s like to forge a career surrounded by talented musicians and friends, and his headline gig at the legendary Jazz Cafe in Camden at the end of the month.
Read on for the full interview.
Mom Tudie, ‘As The Crows’ album art. Image credit:
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Interviewer: Tell us your name, what you do, and where you're from.
MT: I'm Mom Tudie. I make music, like R&B, soul, jazz stuff. I'm 30. And I'm from East Dulwich, in Southeast London.
Where does the name come from?
MT: My name is Tom Mudie and it was a joke when I was 16 – I made some tunes and then I don't know, it stuck. I just didn't change it.
You’ve just put a new album out, what can you tell us about that – and what’s the backstory behind the title?
MT: So it’s called ‘As The Crows’, but it's kind of in my head as ‘As The Crows Come Home To Roost.’ I made it in my late grandparents house over the last year. I grew up going to their house, in the countryside. When they passed away, it's kind of bittersweet. Obviously, it wasn't great, but I just went with a carload of stuff and made the album there. There's no central heating, so I started off and it was freezing, just there with electric heaters and it kind of added to it.
At the end of their garden, there’s a group of trees that crows come and roost in every night and they make a massive racket. That time around sunset, they come and squawk, and it was a big part of my childhood that noise, because you don't get that in London. It’s kind of a metaphor of them finding each other again, imagining them in the crows, perhaps.
What’s inspired the record?
MT: Loads of artists. Jim-E Stack. James Blake. Jorja Smith, Sampha, that sort of world. I'd take sessions with people that aren't necessarily for an album, or particular project, and then remix them so I can really make them my own. Basically kind of used collaborators as samples rather than getting into the studio specifically for a song. It’s an accumulation of working with people, but also being from South London – I think there's a fair amount of making friends with people that make music.
“I made [the album] in my late grandparents house.... At the end of their garden, there’s a group of trees that crows come and roost in every night and they make a massive racket. It was a big part of my childhood that noise. It’s kind of a metaphor of them finding each other again, imagining them in the crows, perhaps.”
Who have you collaborated with on this album?
MT: First one is Tia Gordon. We've been working together for years, so whenever we write, songs just happen. They just fly. She’s incredible, and we just have a connection. August Charles, incredibly strong singer. Mad soulful singer, he’s supported Nile Rogers. MaZz, R&B singer from South London, but she's also done a bit of stuff in the dance world. Yeah just super talented singer, sounds beautiful.
Len Blake who's from New Zealand, beautiful tone of voice. She sings live with me as well. Who's the last person? Taves. Taves is a Nigerian singer, and I feel really privileged to get to work with him. We basically sent him the track and he came back and just nailed it.
When you see these artists you work with having their moments, what's that experience like for you?
MT: It's cool, it's amazing to see other people just explode. Especially when it's people you know are really talented, from day one. Example of Nectar Woode – she had this amazing confidence. And she had been singing live for ages already, but she had an aura about her, she could just hold a room from day dot. And I think people just needed to clock onto that. Same with Tia Gordon and Kwaku Asante – you can tell they're probably gonna do well.
Not exclusively to them, but because of content these days, I was talking to a friend of mine in the music industry. We were saying that it's interesting, how people pop off. The algorithmic thing does make you feel a little bit like it’s a lottery ticket. Some people would deny that there is an element of luck perhaps. But at the end of the day, I think people that are talented will get to where they need to be and will be champions for what they do.
Basically, it's nice, and if I've worked with them, it's like, oh, I obviously had good taste!
I wonder, if you could swallow a magical pill that makes you go viral, would you take it?
MT: Like I will just go viral and then that'll be it?
You don't have control over what happens next.
MT: You know, I probably would. Because I think I'm ready for it now. I think there's been moments in the past where things have done well, and I didn't capitalise on them because I didn't have management or a team that would push me to make the most of it. But I think I would now, but use it in the right way. But not if it's me going viral for like, getting run over, or doing something stupid!
“It’s interesting, how people pop off. The algorithmic thing does make you feel a little bit like it’s a lottery ticket. Some people would deny that there is an element of luck perhaps. ”
So you’re playing The Jazz Cafe at the end of the month. Can you give us a brief rundown of how you got into music, how your journey's gone, and how you ended up with this gig?
MT: I started playing trumpet and drums when I was really little. I started making music when I was a teenager and then started producing. I've been playing live on and off but it's never clicked, because coming as a producer into the live scene, it’s an interesting jump. I'm not predominantly a singer. It's like, what do I play and where do I sit in the band? I started playing more consistently live over the last year and a half and then Jazz Cafe offered us the slot.
What can people expect to see there?
MT: I've got a really good live band working really hard on a new, improved set. I'm going to be playing trumpet, percussion, and I'll be singing. And then I've got a keys player, an amazing drummer, and another singer and some special guests. It's going to be really fun. The rehearsal’s going really well. It's really sick seeing my music come to life with musicians adding their twist on it.
It’s a planned set with elements of improvisation. What that means is, I just say, here's the song, play it how you want to play it. There’ll be solos and stuff from the instrumentalists. I want it to resemble the originals but have a little bit of flair added.
What does it mean for you to be playing this venue?
MT: I grew up going to Jazz Cafe loads. I have lots of friends that have played there, I feel lucky, it feels like a massive step up from anywhere else I've played, so, I am nervous. But I'm equally as excited to do it – this isn't natural to me, I do find it hard, but this has really pushed me on to really make sure it's a great performance.
What are your hopes and goals for 2026?
MT: I want to play some festivals. I'd love to do Love Supreme, that's the first one that springs to mind just because it's always got a sick lineup and it’s in the jazz world. ‘We Out Here’ would be sick, we might be playing Shambhala. Not confirmed, but we're looking at doing a tour at the end of March, beginning of April.
Corto.alto I really want to work with. He’s a phenomenal bass and trombone player, and a great producer. Really cool visuals that go with his music as well. Nominated for a Mercury Prize, I also saw him headline ‘We Out Here’. I want to support him on tour next year.
*
Grab your tickets now for Mom Tudie performing at London’s Jazz Cafe on Saturday 29th November.