We caught up with Tim Blackburn, the creative mind behind Mistrust, ahead of his Nowt Without Artists headline gig. Nowt Without Artists is The Old Courts series of gigs, platforming quality, grassroots talent in headline slots.

You’re headlining the Holding Cell soon as part of The Old Courts’ Nowt Without Artists, how do you feel?

I’m really excited about it! It’s a real privilege to be asked to perform there. It’s a such as great venue and so many amazing musicians have played there inn the past.

What first drew you into making electronic music?

It’s a long time ago now, but I saw a band called Chicory Tip on Top of the Pops (popular music show on TV!) and loved all the weird electronic/synth noises they were making. I realised I could make the same sort of sounds myself on an old fan-powered organ we had at home and never looked back!

What’s next for Mistrust after this show – more gigs, releases, collaborations?

I have a couple of really big gigs coming up after my performance at The Holding Cell! I’ll be supporting ULTRA:FOXX – The tribute to Ultravox (John Foxx and Midge Ure eras) plus John Foxx solo work – at Zanzibar in Liverpool, on the 25th of October 2025. I’ll also be performing at The Globe in Glossop with The Cathodes and Mount Famine (21st of November 2025). I’m also in the middle of writing and recording a new album – due out later this year, plus there are a couple of collaborations in the pipeline. I’m really excited about all of these projects!

If your music could form the soundtrack to an existing film, what would it be?

It already has! A few years ago, some of my music was used in the soundtrack of a surfing movie! It was the official film for the Deep Blue Open surfing contest, and was played all over the world!

In creating your music and visuals, what’s your starting point / where do you find inspiration?

In terms of making music, my inspiration is definitely the catchy hooks and melodies of ABBA songs, plus some of the darker, moody lyrics and tone of Joy Division and early Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The song themes and titles usually come from the visuals. If I’m visiting a place for the first time, or something unusual catches my attention, I’ll walk round filming random clips on my phone. Looking at the clips later, I may think that looks like a good idea for a song!

What’s the one song you wrote that people should listen to if they don’t know your music?

That’s easy! It’s a song called “Yellow and Grey” which I wrote a couple of years ago. I made a deliberate attempt to write a catchy, 3 minute pop song and hopefully it worked! It’s one of those songs where everyone seems to sing and clap along to it, even if they’ve never heard it before!

Mistrust headlines the Holding Cell stage on Thursday 4th September – grab your ticket here.