OKC’s Kale Dumas shares pop single ‘On Paper’
On paper, it makes sense Kale Dumas could be a pop star.
At 20, the Oklahoma City-born musician has a long road ahead of him but give his first proper, studio-recorded single a listen.
From the bubbly intro that channels the infectious first few seconds of “MMMBop” to Dumas’ John Mayer-esque delivery, “On Paper” is a solid pop introduction to the Oklahoma music landscape. You can stream the song on NewsOK.com/ blogs/MiddleOfNowhere.
“My roots are in a singersongwriter, bluesy rock and folk background,” Dumas said. “I borrow things from the artists that inspire me. I’d like to make popular music and songs that everyone can enjoy. I’m envisioning playing all around the world.”
His love song’s inspiration is a bit more local. Dumas sings about a longdistance relationship and wanting to meet in the middle. Geographically, that’d be in Moore. Last summer, he was missing his high school sweetheart while she attended rush at the University of Oklahoma.
For the first time, Dumas was faced with not living in the same city as his girlfriend. As freshmen, they had both attended OU. He’d relocated to Oklahoma City in 2017 while she continued studying in Norman. The couple have been friends since prekindergarten.
“It was originally a sadder song,” he said. “Even that short distance was tougher than I thought. It was about missing her, having questions about a relationship and wanting everything to work.”
However, he knew studying journalism at OU wasn’t a fit.
It meant less time pursuing music. Dumas now attends ACM@UCO in downtown Oklahoma City and has gathered advice from the music college’s CEO Scott Booker, songwriter Travis Linville and guitarist Mitch Bell.
After sitting on the song for a few months, Dumas teamed up with recording engineer Tyler Garcia at Edmond’s 33rd Street Studio to give “On Paper” a studio shine.
“I learned a lot more about the studio process,” Dumas said. “We recruited great session players. It was just cool for a song — that I wrote every word for — to come to life like that.”
Dumas has come a long way since his father shared some Ed Sheeran songs with him a few years back, but he’s got work to do.
This summer is when he estimates playing his first show.
“I’m working on a body of songs that’ll represent me well,” he said. “A live show deserves a lot of preparation. I’m working toward a great set that ... shows I’m a performer and an entertainer.”
And how dedicated is Dumas?
“I’m in this to create longevity for my career and to die a legend,” he said. “I want a huge following locally, but I’m thinking globally for when my career’s over.
“I want to do the impossible. I think I am the one in the million. Why not go for it?”
Rock on.