Interviews

London bubbler, radio regular, rising star Tia Cousins plays at the Wild Wood Disco festival in June. The Wild Wood was born in 2017, and it returns in 2024 for another dance under the magical disco ball. It’s an intimate gathering of like-minded people played out against a backdrop of incredible music, all served up by a stellar cast of talent including Erol Alkan, Wallace, Crazy P, Make A Dance, CC: Disco and many more. We caught up with Tia about her kaleidoscopic DJ sets, Krautrock and wacky guitars.

Thanks for talking to us. Where are you this moment and how are you spending the day?

Hey, I'm currently on the train. Having to start this again as I closed it and didn't save!

Where were you born? Where are you based now?

I was born in Essex babes - I currently live in London!

What do you love most about where you are living, what keeps you where you are today?

London is hectic but there's a lot of great clubs & opportunities for music related things. All my besties are here too, I'm very grateful to have such lovely housemates & be surrounded by so many talented and funny hombres!

Was there someone or something that inspired you to become a DJ?

I used to go to a lot of workshops and panels for females/gender minorities run by Red Bull, Rhythm Sister and Sisu whilst I was at university. It was nice to gain insight on topics from non-males, it made me feel like it was possible to succeed in what was and still can be a very male dominated industry.

What kind of artists, DJs, genres were you into growing up?

I loved bands / hot guys playing guitar. I was really into pop punk & grunge growing up, some of my fav bands were Title Fight, Paramore, Brand New and American Football. I was a bit of a tech house hunny back in the day, there was (& still is) a pretty good scene for it there – I guess that was my first step in to the world of the doof doof.

Where were some of your first gigs?

My first ever gig was for Rhythm Sister (now known as Common Ground) at Dalston Superstore. I got to play before Jaye Ward who remains one of my fav DJs!

What kind of stuff were you playing in your early days?

Not too dissimilar to what I play now, I've always loved the chuggy side of music. I went through some of the first tunes I ever put on my USB recently & played this out the other week.

When did you first start to play on the radio? What station was that on?

In 2019, I had a show called 'Boujee Beats’ on a lil internet station called Vandelay Radio. I only done 2 shows on there before moving over to Balamii for my first in-person radio show!

Does your monthly Noods show have music policy or is it as open minded as your DJ sets?

Anything goes! I guess it’s kind of based off my mood, so things are usually downtempo. I try not to play too much club music on the radio, my slot is in the afternoon, so it’s always work friendly.

You are known for having a real depth and knowledge in music. Where do you think you gathered most of that knowledge?

Lots of late nights getting drawn into various holes of the internet & a bit of Shazam.

When so many DJs are in a box with their style, your tastes and your sets are broad. What is it you love about mixing up so many different flavours?

Never let them know your next move! I think the main thing is I can’t make up my mind on a set ‘style’ to play, so I just do my own thing. Which is kind of all over the place, but whatever. It’s TC’s style x

If you had to pick one fave genre what would be your most loved?

Krautrock – I’m a sucker for a wacky guitar.

What other DJs do you think are good at playing across genres?

My fav must be Vladimir Ivkovic. Every time I watch him play my dome is blown – he pieces together so many different genres so seamlessly, a true wizard!

Where do you find the most inspiration when it comes to discovering new music?

Mostly going on nights out, which I don’t do that often anymore! Sometimes I’ll just rediscover a track I’ve already got and look for similar things.

Who do you think is making great music at the moment?

Wallace, who’s also played at Wild Wood! I’ve also recently discovered Saeko Killy, her remix of Dâdalus & Bikarus that came out recently is great!

What is the most recent record you purchased or downloaded?

You are going to be playing at the Wild Wood Disco Festival in June. Is this your first time?

Yes, I’m super excited. I’ve heard lots of great things!

What can you tell us about the Wild Wood?

Is that a euphemism?

If you had to pick a track for peak time festival fun what would that be?

This always goes off!

Have you got any tips for festival survival?

Berocca in the morn! I’ve got some other tips, but I don’t know who’s reading so I’ll keep them to myself.

The Wild Wood Disco Festival information