Featuring new material made public for the first time, LGBTQ singer Wuhryn Dumas discusses his five favourite songs plus the one track that he'd chosen as a gateway song into his catalogue.

Series 2 of In the Key of Q will begin on 1 March 2022.

Links:

• Transcript.
• Wuhryn’s homepage.
• Wuhryn on: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Tidal, Napster.
• Wuhryn’s choices: Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Prince, Wuhryn Dumas, Solange.
• Wuhryn’s gateway track: 2U.
• In the Key of Q composer Paul Leonidou’s online home.

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Dan

Hello, it's Dan here. In the Key of Q is on hiatus until the first of March, but until those new episodes drop, here are clips from the patron exclusive feed, plus other treats from the main episode to keep you occupied.

Dan

This week we revisit Wuhryn Dumas. This is an episode in our Songs to Save from Armageddon series, in which our wonderful guests select five songs to save from the end of the world. Enjoy.

Hello and welcome to our special patron episode of In the Key of Q, where I welcome back the wonderful Wuhryn Dumas.

Dan

Hello.

Wuhryn

Hello. Thank you for having me.

Dan

It's gorgeous to have you, but sadly I bring bad tidings because the end of the world is coming.

Wuhryn

Yes. Yes, it is.

Dan

It's a real bummer, isn't it? What a.

Wuhryn

Shame. It's such a bummer.

Dan

Just as we've got a vaccine, just as you've got a new president. Suddenly, Oh, the skies go dark and everything is ending.

Wuhryn

Crazy was having such a great time!

Dan

I know what a great 18 months we've all had. Unfortunately, you know, despite the fact that you're a fantastic musician and no doubt must love 1,000,000 different songs, you can only rescue five songs.

Wuhryn

Oh yes. five songs.

Dan

So and don't you try and break the rules?

Wuhryn

Well, what it was breaking the rules?

Dan

Breaking the rules is taking six!

Wuhryn

Oh all right. All right. All right. All right. So hard. There's so many amazing songs that have really changed my life, so I know for sure no one is going to be crazy in love by Beyonce. Say like that song.

Wuhryn

I mean, it is such a timeless song and like it could be any time to me and those horns. It doesn't matter if I just woke up. It does matter if I was walking down the street. It doesn't matter if I was just pissed off those songs.

Wuhryn

That song right there is going to literally pick me up and make me want to strip down any like, you know, grocery store aisle or the sidewalk anywhere or even the hallway of my home. I'm going to pop through.

Dan

And it's one of those rare songs isn't there where you can literally be a quarter of a second in and you'd be like, I know what it is. You know, I think, you know, it was A Hard Day's Night from the Beatles does that you could hear a quarter of a second of the very opening.

Wuhryn

Absolutely. It's like it does. It can be like a fire or we can say, you know, how like a car is like far down the street and you can somewhat kind of hear some music from it. You're like, What is that?

Wuhryn

But you're going to hear that. You're going to know what it is. You're going to build it. So, you know.

Dan

I wasn't even even if even if a car is like five blocks away, your eagle ears would hear it and you broke your window.

Wuhryn

I promise you. That's how crazy I am for that. So I promise you, though. So the second song for me would be Michael Jackson. Don't stop Til You Get Enough. That song is another one that just makes me want to, you know, jump for joy and just want to move and groove.

Wuhryn

And it's so funky and like, I can't help but feel like I'm not good enough. Like, and if the world is coming down and this crazy stuff happening, I want to dance till I can get enough. I want to move to.

Wuhryn

It's time to chop it up.

Dan

You know, if the world is ending, you might as well, you know, shake it up a little bit and have some fun.

Wuhryn

Absolutely. Why not? Like, you know, during the times of you knowing that it's a party in your soul.

Dan

You know, and I think I think also songs like like that are so interesting because they are actually, if you listen to the mixing, they're actually quite hollow. Anything, how can you make a song that's not just filled to the rafters with noises and not get boring?

Wuhryn

Exactly. Like it's it's amazing. I always like I said, I always say that simplicity is so much more than, you know, doing all these crazy acrobats and stuff that's all over the place. It's like decorating a tree. You want to put up the nice ornaments and it's still bling bling.

Wuhryn

But you know it's the. You don't have to make the tree fall on the back.

Dan

And one of one of our other guests in this era is Aruan Duval said that Prince once said that the funk is not in the sounds, but in the spaces in between.

Wuhryn

Mm hmm. Mm hmm. And I am here for that. And I think that is that's the truth. It's really the truth. If anything that anyone does, that is the truth. And so that brings me to my number three song, Prince, Baby, I'm a star.

Wuhryn

And that song to me, you know, it brings so much confidence to I know personally for me. And it's just it's such a groove. And like you said it, it's the spaces in between and it's the drums that's hitting.

Wuhryn

And then when it comes to the lyrics, Oh my God, like. And for me, I would say the verse when he's saying, like, you know, I don't have no money, but I'm rich on personality like that says a lot.

Wuhryn

You know, it lets you know that you can start anywhere and you could still already be a star. And I resonate with that all the way. And some days I feel like I'm not where I want to be or I was.

Wuhryn

I had this, but I know that I am the person that has to, you know, create that stardom, and that's what that song means in it. And if it's the end of the world, I'm going to go out feeling like I'm still a star.

Dan

Exactly.

Wuhryn

And then I will say my next song and this. This may be a, you know, a little plug, but I know for me 2U is about wanting to buy is another song that literally will make you feel good regardless of what you're going through.

Wuhryn

And I know the strength is the horns. I mean, if you're following me, a lot of horns are in these songs. And so it's so weird. That is the end of the world. And there's this horn that's going on.

Wuhryn

But for me, the horn that's blowing in are bops. And to me, to you is another song that literally gets me off my feet and makes me want to just jump for joy and have a good time. And that's what I want to feel when the world is falling apart completely.

Dan

Because you know what? There's nothing you can do. There is nothing you can do. So you might as well go out laughing and dancing. And you know, it's like being just like that great song. You know, there may be trouble ahead, but while there's moonlight and music and love and romance, let's face the music.

Wuhryn

Yes. But yes. And because it's like, it's like, essentially, you know, in life, we go through these crazy moments and you know, it's there's a lot of things you cannot control and that's with a lot of things. And it's like, you might as well enjoy what you have and and make something because the joy is in you

Wuhryn

You know, it's not really the external thing. So as the world is crumbling apart, you know, create that joy and have a good time completely.

Dan

And I love the fact that you've chosen some of one of your own pieces because I'm currently editing some of the episodes I've already recorded of this and I get a huge amount of joy listening to them, even if they're rough cuts, even if there's, you know, problems with the audio and all the stuff that should worry

Dan

me. But I'm listening back, and I think that brings me a lot of joy listening to that.

Wuhryn

Yes. Yes. And that's how you should feel. And like as well as my number five song, it's I don't know if you heard it, but it's Salonge and it’s called Bends and it’s from her latest album, and it's actually an interlude, which is really short.

Wuhryn

I think it's like a minute or two. I look back and is my number one and most played song, and I'm like, I didn't realise that because I play a lot of music, but that song, it's it just makes you feel like at ease.

Wuhryn

And I feel like if that's if the world is ending, I want to feel that ease and that that coolness. But it still makes you want to move, but it's not overly done. It's literally, probably two tracks that's going on on the whole time.

Wuhryn

And it's her melody on it. It just makes you feel like a lullaby. And what you're also like, you know, you want to get down a little bit, you want to feel good about. And that's, to me, is another song that will cap it off for me at the end of the world.

Dan

So then, Wuhryn, for those of our audience who haven't yet discovered your catalogue and they would require one song to particularly seduce them into it, what would you recommend that would be?

Wuhryn

Oh, I'm going to give 2U my lead single that is out right now, with the music video that song. The funny thing is, when I created it, I produced the majority of it and I had horn players accompany me with with that.

Wuhryn

And I was so afraid because I'm like, I don't think people are going to understand this song. I don't think people are going to like it is crazy is quirky. And after I released it, it was just an instant wildfire.

Wuhryn

And still, today there's so many people listening to it more, then a lot of the other songs that I have, and I'm super proud of it, and I think it literally lashes anybody on it immediately. So I think 2U would be definitely the song that will just bring them into all the other music that I have.

Dan

All that's left to say is a huge, huge thank you to Wuhryn Dumas for joining us today on In the key of Q. Wuhryn, thank you so much.

Wuhryn

Well, it was so fun though. I enjoyed it. It was really fun.

Dan

And I look forward to looking you up when I come to New York. And please do give me a shout if ever you're going to come to London because it would be lovely to show you around.

Wuhryn

I would love to come out there. You know, the funny thing is, so many people tell me that they think I should be a musician out there. They feel like my music fits well in London.

Wuhryn

Listen, whoever caused me to come, I'm coming!

Dan

Many thanks for listening. Check out the show notes for the Spotify playlist, compliments this episode, and remember there's exclusive content over at patreon.com/inthekeyofq. Do get in touch. It'll be great to hear from you.

Dan

The podcast’s on social media or email me direct at podcast@inthekeyofq.com. Write and review the show on your podcast provider, it really, really helps. Our theme tune is by Paul Leondiou at unstoppablemonsters.com

Dan

Many thanks to Kajann Kantha and Moray Laing for their support in making this episode. The show is presented and produced by me, Dan Hall, and made at Pup Media Consultancy. See you next Quesday!