Q the trumpet talks recent album and creative process: "I write about how I want to live and how I have to live"

This year marks singer-songwriter Q the trumpet’s 6th year in the Korean music industry after making his debut in 2018 with the full-length album ‘DEVUT.’ Deriving his stage name from the sound of his last name “k-y-u” of Park Joon Kyu, Q effortlessly wields three musical personas: the trumpeter, the rapper, and the producer. Now, he's embarking on learning a new instrument: guitar. “The trumpet uses only three fingers, but the playing guitar needs to use both hands, so it’s not easy for me,” he said in his interview with allkpop.

Three years ago, Q the trumpet took first place in the 'Vans Musicians Wanted' competition as the Asia-Pacific region's representative. Although the competition was conducted online due to the pandemic, he was still able to have an amazing experience despite not being able to play at the venue. “I never thought I’d win… I was really happy that a lot of famous musicians listened to my music and commented about it,” he stated.

Q the trumpet, who is currently signed to OFF THE RECORD, released his only album of the previous year, 'Christmas Afternoon.' Comprising of songs like "Beer Afternoon," "Sleighbells are ringing outside the door," "It's just Christmas," and "Good Night," listeners can feel the cozy, festive vibe of the holiday season, accompanied by the jazzy instruments. “To be honest, last year, I got very bad slump. Last year wasn't good even though I tried really hard,” said the artist. “I used this time with my friends to make the time go by. To get out of the slump, I decided to release an album for the Christmas season.”

For him, there’s no exact pattern when making music. “Sometimes I write the lyrics first, followed by the melody. But sometimes melodies come first, then I write the lyrics. It is very random.” Without experience, he says, we cannot learn much from books or movies alone. He added, “Most of my inspiration comes from my life. I usually use my life as an example when I write lyrics. I write about how I want to live and how I have to live.”

Having previously worked with artists like Paul Kim, Crush, and Jeong Dong Won, Q the trumpet said that he’s open to collaborating with anyone as long as they’re good at communicating and are forward-looking.

As for his 2024 goals, Q the trumpet simply wants to live a healthy life as a human being. He added, “As a musician, I want to release a variety of songs and performances.” The musician concluded the interview with his message: “Thank you for having me for an interview. I’ll be working hard to reach my goals I have set for this year, and I'll make more good music. Everyone, be healthy!”