Interview conducted by Kristan Caryl.

From quiet, but nonetheless powerful, radio shows, to expansive club sets – that bridge post-punk, techno and the outer edges of dance – London-based Tia Cousins has carved out a unique space in the global music underground. Whether behind the decks or curating for labels, Tia’s approach is always thoughtful but playful. A fine example of that MO is the Music To Watch Seeds Grow By imprint that she co-runs with her pal, Ransom Note founder Wil Troup. Their series of highly collectible cassette releases serve as ambient / minimalist soundtracks careful horticulture, in the process encouraging mental calm and mindfulness. 

Tia is about to play at this month’s Wild Wood Festival, but ahead of that I caught up with her to talk about the joys of gardening, learning to DJ in a uni bedroom, forays into production and how sometimes clearing a dance floor isn’t such a bad thing.

How has 2025 been for you so far?

It’s been nice. I’ve kept the first half of the year relatively chilled out, as I needed some time to rest! I’ve had some super fun gigs though, a few favs were Nothing Special in Berlin, The Golden Lion’s 10th birthday in Todmorden and  Field Notes in Amsterdam.

You really made your mark with well-curated shows for radio stations such as NTS, Balamii, Noods, and at places like Brilliant Corners. How hard is it to translate your radio sound to the club? 

My radio shows are more for what I like to listen to at home. Personally, if I’m listening to the radio, “club” music isn’t something I draw for. So it’s probably easiest for me to translate that sound into a club setting during a warm-up set. I always try to involve elements of post-punk, etc., into my club sets. How far I push it depends on who else is playing and where I’m playing.

How long do you spend digging for new or new to you music? Where, and what’s your approach to it? Is it something you have got better at over time?

I definitely have to be “in the mood” to look for new music, otherwise I end up getting pretty frustrated and give up. I try to save a few new bits each day while scrolling on the internet, but the majority of music I find is in a panic before a gig. 

I use Bandcamp, various music blogs, Substacks and Spotify mostly – I usually find something I like and go down a musical black hole from that. 

I’ve gotten better at finding music in the sense that my taste  is a lot more refined nowadays. However, I used to have a lot more time to look for new music when I was at university because I was dossing about. I’m a sleepy girl now!

What was it that got you into records and digging in the first place? 

I’d always been into finding new music. I was blessed to grow up during the times of Limewire. I used to get viruses on the family computer while making CDs for myself and my parents. I guess my entry into dance music was when I started exploring the world of late nights and disco biscuits. Around that time a friend left his decks in my room at uni, so I taught myself to DJ. 

You play such a wide array of music. Do you have different approaches to mixing depending on what you’re playing? 

Yes, it depends on what I’m playing. Most of the time I use a loop to bring something in slowly, and I like to try to change track without people noticing. Sometimes I look for loud noises, or moments of silence, to distract and transition. I keep things pretty simple in terms of EQ and effects. I might use a little bit of echo to get out of a track, but that’s about it.

Can you remember the first time you played records for a crowd?

My first ever gig was in the basement of Dalston Superstore for a collective called Rhythm Sister. I’d sent in a mix as part of a call out for DJs for the night, and got to play before Jaye Ward! My 2 mates, Marcia and Loz, were in the crowd along with the Rhythm Sister crew. I remember being sooooo scared, even though there weren’t many people there, I don’t think I looked up once because my hands were shaking haha. 

I’m not sure that I approach things very differently nowadays, because I still get shaky hands and refuse to look up because people looking at me freaks me out!

Tell us about Music To Watch Seeds Grow By. 

Music To Watch Seeds Grow By is an ambient cassette / digital label I run with my good friend Wil. I got into gardening during a sober stint last year. I was given a lot of seeds for my birthday, so that became a hyperfixation for a while. I get really excited seeing the seeds sprout for the first time and even how they’ve changed from morning compared to night!

Wil shares the excitement of the seeds sprouting with me and we were sending each other ambient music, so he suggested we put the two together. The art of gardening and ambient music share a lot of the same qualities, in the sense that they invite you to slow down… and they’re 2 loves of ours. It made total sense!

You also do A&R for Ransom Note. What’s the art of that job?

I’ve mostly been reaching out to artists whose music I play out a lot – asking if they’ve got any music lying about or are up for making a new release for us. It gets a bit tricky when artists send over lots of music, because so much of it is great. We’d love to be able to put out more albums, but the campaigns tend to be a lot longer, so we need balance them with singles and EPs. I wouldn’t say I’m looking for anything in particular, just good music. 

Have you dabbled with production? Does it appeal to you, why not if not?

I’ve co-produced things with friends a handful of times – me and Ruf Dug have our first remix coming out together under our Strange Affair, which I’m super excited about. It’s definitely something I’d like to do more of, but I haven’t had the time yet due to full-time work commitments. I’m hoping to dabble a bit this year!

Have you ever been faced with a crowd that wasn’t into what you were playing. If so, how did you respond to it? 

I’ve cleared a few floors in my time. I quite like doing that, though – filtering out the crowd so that only those who are vibing remain. I think it’s inevitable that you’re never going to please everyone who’s on the dance floor. Sometimes I think it’s pretty difficult to know if people are vibing, especially in certain cities like London. I feel like the crowd is pretty stiff there compared to smaller cities and towns – where going to the club seems more like a pilgrimage. I try not to get in my own head about these things and stay calm, although it’s pretty difficult to do that in the moment. 

You play Wild Wood Festival soon. Does an outdoor festival setting encourage you to pack differently than for a club? 

For sure, I guess it depends on what time the set is and how long it is. I’d say I tend to play a bit of a safer set than in a club. Festivals are always a good opportunity to pack in a cheeky classic! Expect nothing and everything, I’m not one to plan ahead so it’ll be a surprise to all of us. 

What else have you got coming up?

I’ve got a lot of fun gigs coming up in places I’ve not played before, and I’m starting to put together season 2 of Music To Watch Seeds Grow By!

Tia Cousins plays at this year’s Wild Wood Festival. Happening between June 20th and 22nd, you can find more details on the whole weekend, and purchase tickets, here.