Nigerian indie musician Tommy WÁ drops Dumb Luck ahead of new EP

‘Dumb Luck’, a record about romantic longing, follows ‘YAKOYO’, released back in August. It was produced by Lucas Müller and Nkemjika. 

“For this song, we went with a minimalist approach, unlike the production for ‘YAKOYO’,” the musician told Music In Africa. “One would think minimalist means it was easy but after we had done the demo, it was tough deciding what direction the song could go. After the third version, we knew that that initial dumb demo experiment was the one. It was raw and honest, and carried the spark of the singer-songwriter way the song was originally composed.”

Filmed in the heart of Accra, the song’s accompanying music video, directed by Apagnawen Annankra, addresses the balance of the body and the mind, the self-indulgent pleasure of the artist and his lover, the fault-finding nature of self-doubt and the routine practice of the act of love. It also invites listeners to be lenient on themselves in their experience of love. 

Tommy WÁ derives his sound texture from a blend of contemporary folk, indie and retro-soul. This musical cocktail efficiently travels the expanse of his Nigerian roots and caters to the musical cravings of Accra, where he is based. He cites Michael Kiwanuka, Bon Iver, Beautiful Nubia and The Lumineers among his influences. 

Now, Tommy WÁ will be taking the record on the road, starting with a headline show at South Village in Accra on 4 November.

Road Man and Folks is set for release on 30 November, and its author says that the EP is a “beacon for folks struggling with finding purpose, career ambition, romantic longing and those in pursuit of happiness.”