Both on her own and in a collaborative mode with artists like Horse Vision and Quiet Light, the Stockholm-based artist Tiffi M makes seraphic digital pop that has the potential to linger in your head long after the song is over. Made during a recovery period after an emergency surgery, her new single, “Centipede,” sees the artist’s style reach new affective heights. We sent over a couple questions to the artist, about her love of heart imagery and her favorite Swedish pop music; read the answers and listen to the new single below. 

Tell us about the new single.

A while ago I had to go to the ER because of an internal bleeding, which led to my first ever surgery (!). Everything happened very suddenly and it was really intense, I’ve never been in that much pain before. Johan (Horse Vision) had given me a folder with samples a few weeks earlier, and this erratic MIDI piano was one of them. So during recovery, for two weeks after, I slept a lot, but I also made this song. 

You named an album Heartstrings. On the new single, there is a lyric about your heartbeat. What draws you to heart imagery in your music? 

I think it represents everything about us that isn't logical or intellectual. It's the avatar image of our feelings and in extension, our core. I also think it's cute that we have so many sayings with the heart in focus. Having your heart on your sleeve, follow your heart, etc.

What is your favorite way to start a song?

Lately the way I make music feels more like making a collage. Sample something from a movie, paste it with some old sample, chop and scatter vocal takes and then loop everything until something new happens. I guess I hear something that I like, and build it around that.

What is “Screen Glow” about? 

Screen Glow is about when I had just started seeing someone (now boyfriend), but had already booked a trip to Tokyo, so I spent the entire trip wishing he was there, wishing the time difference wasn’t so big, wishing he’d wake up so we could talk etc. My phone screen, that usually feels like a void, suddenly felt warm and hopeful. I realise it sounds like I didn’t enjoy the trip, but I actually enjoyed it a lot (in-between texting).

Can you remember the first song that ever had an emotional impact on you?

It’s still my all time favorite song, “Be Mine” by Robyn. I was ten when it came out, and I was singing it like I had experienced the biggest heartache of my life. Also the video is fab.

What kind of Swedish music did you look up to growing up? Does that stuff still influence you?

Robyn of course, she still is. But it’s actually more recently I’ve started looking back at music that surrounded me without knowing it. Artists like Stina Nordenstam, Roxette, The Cardigans, The Knife. Stuff that you grew up with has a way of influencing you without you noticing, so there’s a lot of music that we had in school that I think pops up here and there.

How did you like living in London? Was living outside of your home country a conduit to creativity?

I live in Stockholm now, but I lived in London from 2015-2023 (R.I.P.). I think leaving where you come from is always healthy to get perspective. I lived a completely different life than from what I do now, and I think my creativity was not necessarily something that was flourishing, but rather perspective and experience. It’s been said a million times, but London is like a mini-version of the world, and I miss that mix of cultures now I’m back in Stockholm. 

Could you talk a little bit about your live show? What does your dream live setup look like?

My live show is different every time! I’ve been experimenting with different set ups, the one I’m doing now in April as support for Acopia will be the first time I’m doing a solo set up. My dream live setup would be full band and a string quartet.