Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Tushy

1. Can you tell us about your musical journey? When did your passion for music begin?

My earliest specific memory of music goes back to when I was around seven or eight, although I can’t remember the exact age. My grandmother bought me a small toy drum set with a guitar, and I remember being fascinated by it.

I also remember that after church services at Four Square, which was the first church my family attended when I was younger, I would go over to the drum set and just start hitting the drums. Looking back now, I feel like that was where my connection to music really began.

At the time, I obviously didn’t understand what it meant, but music was already something I naturally gravitated towards. I eventually became a gospel singer and instrumentalist, and from there the journey developed into songwriting, production, arranging, recording, mixing and mastering.

It’s interesting to look back and realise that what started with a toy drum set and playing around after church eventually became the life I’m building now. In many ways, I think I’ve just been following that same instinct ever since.

2. What inspired you to become a professional artist?

My journey wasn’t really a straight line. I came from a gospel and church background, so music initially meant worship, ministration and connecting with people spiritually.

As I grew older, I started discovering different forms of music and different ways of expressing myself. Burna Boy was actually one of the major artists who inspired me to start writing and recording music professionally.

I never would have imagined that my path as a gospel singer and instrumentalist would eventually lead me here. But I think that’s what makes the journey interesting. I’ve never wanted to abandon where I came from; I’ve wanted to understand all the different parts of myself and allow them to exist in the music.

3. How would you describe your sound and your artistic identity?

I don’t really believe music has to stay inside a box.

My sound is rooted in Africa, but I’m influenced by many different things — Afrobeats, Highlife, R&B, Soul, Trap, Reggae, Gospel and whatever else genuinely resonates with me.

That’s part of why I created the idea of SoundFusion. It’s my way of describing music without unnecessary boundaries. It’s not about randomly mixing genres; it’s about allowing different influences to communicate with each other naturally while still retaining identity.

As Tushy, I’m interested in the emotional and spiritual side of music. I want the music to reflect both the darker impulses of being human and the divine or spiritual awareness that exists alongside them.

4. What is SoundFusion and what does it mean to you?

SoundFusion is more than just a genre to me. It’s a musical philosophy.

I believe people naturally contain contradictions. We can be dark and light, logical and emotional, spiritual and physical. I don’t see why music should be forced to behave differently.

SoundFusion gives me the freedom to explore those different sides without having to ask whether something is “Afrobeats enough”, “R&B enough” or belongs to one particular category.

For me, the most important thing is resonance. If something moves me genuinely, I want to be able to translate that feeling into music.

5. What are you currently listening to? Are there any emerging artists who have caught your attention?

At the moment, I’ve been listening a lot to Minz and Marzi.

It’s actually funny that their names sound so alike, but trust me, they’re two of the most underrated gems I’ve come across.

What draws me to them is that they don’t feel like they’re simply trying to fit into whatever is happening around them. There’s an individuality in their music that I really appreciate.

I’m always interested in artists who have their own world and identity rather than simply making something because it’s currently popular.

6. Which artist, past or present, would you most like to collaborate with?

Burna Boy.

I feel like there are certain things we have in common musically and in the way we approach African music, but beyond that, his music had a very personal impact on my journey. He’s actually one of the main reasons I started writing and recording music professionally.

What’s funny is that I never imagined my path would lead here. I started out as a gospel singer and instrumentalist, coming from a church background where music was primarily about worship and ministration.

Somehow that journey evolved into songwriting, production, engineering and creating my own sound.

So collaborating with Burna Boy would feel like more than just working with an artist I admire. In some strange way, it would connect the beginning of my journey with where I am now.

7. What is the biggest lesson music has taught you?

I’ve learned that technical quality and emotional resonance are two different things.

You can have the perfect production, the perfect vocal, the perfect mix and master, and still make something that doesn’t really move anybody.

I’m obsessed with the technical side of music because I’m a producer and engineer as well, but I’ve learned that technique is ultimately a vehicle. The thing people remember is how the music made them feel.

That’s something I continue to explore in my own work.

8. How do your personal experiences influence your music?

A lot.

I’m naturally introspective, so I tend to process experiences through music. Sometimes I’m not even consciously trying to write about something; I’ll create something and realise later that I’ve been documenting a part of myself.

My music can explore love, conflict, spirituality, desire, doubt, ambition, darkness and hope.

I don’t necessarily want to explain every song completely. Sometimes I prefer to leave enough mystery for the listener to find their own meaning inside it.

9. What would you like people to eventually understand about you through your music?

I think eventually people will understand that I believe love is the greatest power there is.

And I see myself as an anchor of that force.

For me, love isn’t just romance. It’s generosity, sacrifice, creation, compassion, loyalty and the willingness to give something of yourself.

I try to live a life where I don’t expect too much from people, but I’m willing to do as much as I can according to my strength and my reach.

I think that philosophy naturally finds its way into my music. I want what I create to give something to people.

10. What role does spirituality play in your music?

Spirituality is part of my foundation.

I started in church, so that relationship with music as something capable of connecting people to something greater than themselves has always been there.

But my spirituality has also evolved as I’ve grown. I’m interested in the relationship between the physical and the invisible — emotion, consciousness, creativity, faith and the things we can’t always explain.

I don’t want to preach at people through my music. I’d rather create something that makes them feel, think or question something within themselves.

11. What tools or skills do you bring to your music beyond being a vocalist?

I’m involved in almost every part of the process.

I’m a songwriter, producer, arranger, recording artist and engineer. I record, produce, mix and master my own work, and I enjoy understanding how all those pieces fit together.

I’m also very interested in technology, physics, computers and AI, so I naturally think about music from both creative and technical perspectives.

For me, understanding the machinery behind something doesn’t make it less artistic. It actually gives me more ways to express an idea.

12. What are your ambitions for the future?

I want to build something much bigger than simply releasing songs.

I want to continue developing Tushy, SoundFusion and XVI WVE while building a body of work that can travel internationally and connect with people from completely different backgrounds.

I’d also like to explore more collaborations, live performance, production, creative direction, sync and other ways of expanding what music can become.

Ultimately, I want to build something that has longevity rather than something that only exists for a particular moment.

13. What would be your dream venue or performance?

Glastonbury Festival is definitely one of my dream stages.

But the bigger dream isn’t simply performing there. I’d love to headline a show alongside one of the great African legends — to stand on a stage where generations of African music and culture meet the present.

That would represent something much bigger to me than just a performance. It would feel like a continuation of the journey.

14. If you could give one message to people discovering your music for the first time, what would it be?

Don’t listen to me trying to figure out what box I belong in.

Just listen.

Take what resonates with you and leave what doesn’t.

I’m still discovering myself through the music, so I don’t expect the listener to have everything figured out either.

If something connects with you, then the music has already done what it was supposed to do.

15. What can we expect from Tushy next?

More exploration.

More music, more experimentation and more development of the world I’m building around SoundFusion and XVI WVE.

I’m interested in creating work that can stand on its own today but also make more sense when you look back at the bigger picture years from now.

I don’t just want to make releases. I want to create a body of work and a philosophy that people can continue discovering.