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June 16, 2025 11 mins
Celebrating his first #1 on the U.S. dance charts, D.O.D joined us on America's Dance 30 to chat all things "Wrap Yourself Around Me". He shared how the song was born w North, how long ago he started working on it, and how many different Vs there were of the song before its release. He also answered a question he has never been asked before!

We also got to know D.O.D better w #FinkysFirsts!!

Find out about:
  • if music was the first thing he wanted to get into growing up
  • if 'D.O.D' was his first choice for an artist project name
  • his first time performing for a crowd
  • the first thing he thinks about before going on
  • the first thing he does when he's done w his sets
  • the first thing he likes to wrap himself in when he's not working

Follow: @AmericasDance30 on all socials!

Count down the biggest dance songs in the country every week with Brian Fink on America’s Dance 30; listen on stations around the world!


Follow: @AmericasDance30 on all socials!

Count down the biggest dance songs in the country every week with Brian Fink on America’s Dance 30; listen on stations around the world!
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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
DoD, we're gonna be chatting all about your smash Wrap
Yourself around Me. We're going to get to nod D
a little better and possibly ask you a question you
have never been asked before. DoD, Welcome to America's Dance thirty.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
Dance counting down the biggest dance songs in the country.
This is America's Dance thirty.

Speaker 4 (00:38):
It is great seeing you.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Congratulations on wrap Yourself around Me going number one.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Thank you very much. I'm buzzed.

Speaker 4 (00:45):
That is so awesome.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
I can't wait to find out how this smash was
born with North Now, is this your first number one
on the US dance charts?

Speaker 3 (00:54):
It is my first and one yet.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Oh man, If I would have known that, I totally
would have brought a bottle of champagne or something as celebrate.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
I'm sorry, right around the studio exactly.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
I mean, these studios are pieces of crap. Anyways, I
totally could have rock started.

Speaker 4 (01:10):
Well, we're gonna be.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Chatting all about the smash coming up, but first, let's
get to know d o D a little better with
Thinky's first.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Okay, let's go. So.

Speaker 4 (01:24):
I always love finding out the origin story of artists.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
Now, when you were growing up, was music the first
thing that you wanted to get into or was there
something else you wanted to be when you grew up.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yeah, music was always what I wanted to do. Yeah,
it was.

Speaker 4 (01:38):
There was no Plan B. There was no Plan B.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
I got my first set of decks when I was twelve,
so that's.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
How young I knew.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, So it's always something I wanted to do, and
here we are.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
It's it's been a long road, but yeah, well thank
god it worked out for you. I'm the same way.
I mean, I could make donut, but besides working in
a donut chop, that's literally the only other thing I've
done than radio.

Speaker 4 (02:05):
So I'd be just as screwed as you are.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
So knock on wood that our careers last a long time.

Speaker 4 (02:14):
Now.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
The name do D obviously comes from your real name,
But when you were trying to decide on an artist
project name, was do D your first choice or were
there other names you were considering?

Speaker 2 (02:27):
So there was another name that before I called myself DD,
I used to call myself dirty Damn.

Speaker 4 (02:35):
Where did you come up with that?

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, at the time, it was when this genre in
the UK was coming through. It's called dirty electro, and
that's the music that I used to play, So I'll
call myself dirty done.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Gotcha, But you still get dirty every now and then
on the decks, exactly exactly. Now, you've been playing sold
out shows all over the world, older and festivals. You've
got your biggest headlining show coming up in August. Do

(03:06):
you remember the first time ever performing for a crowd?

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yes, I do, actually, and it was when I was fourteen,
and I definitely shouldn't have been in the venue that
I was in, but yeah, that was my that was
my first taste a bit really, and it's been it's
been a real long road to get to this point
of selling out shows globally, so I really I've kind

(03:32):
of done everything really, all the steps. So I really
appreciate this moment right now that I'm in because things.

Speaker 3 (03:38):
Are really good. I'm really thankful for it.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
That is so amazing. Congratulations. Let's talk about this show
at fourteen. Yeah, was this a professional show that you
were booked for?

Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (03:51):
It was.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
So at the time, I was using vinyl decks and
I was actually working with my brother in a in
a bar doing some electric work. I was just helping
him out during the summer holidays and they had some
decks then, and I course was like, I can DJ,
and he was like.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
Okay, let's get you on tonight.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
So I had my first gig there and I only
had like, I think, like twenty records, so I was
having to play the same records because I couldn't afford
vinyl back then.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
So the vinyl was just so expensive.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
It was like thirteen pounds per vinyl at the time,
and obviously I was fourteen years old.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
I didn't have the money to do that.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
So I was like when I was playing the records,
but it was great though, it's you know, started me
off young.

Speaker 4 (04:37):
Now did the owner of the venue know that you
were underage?

Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, but things listen, we're talking a long time ago.
Things were a little bit different back then. Yeah, but
he didn't know. I definitely should have been playing that.
I'm totally with you.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
I was in clubs when I was I think I
did my first club gig when I was seventeen, so
I totally get it.

Speaker 4 (04:59):
It was different times back then.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
Now, you recently posted a very funny video of buying
some Reces socks and then eating a Rece's peanut butter
cup while you're in the middle of your set. What's
normally the first thing you're thinking about when you're going on,
and what's the first thing you do when you get
done with your shows?

Speaker 2 (05:20):
So the first thing I'm thinking of right before I
go on is what do I open with? Because I
always feel like, especially be the headline show, you've got
to go in with a with a bang. You know,
you've got to go in with with something.

Speaker 3 (05:32):
They all know something of mine.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
Of course, that I'll get them going to signify that
I'm on, because sometimes you know, they don't have visual screens,
especially if you're playing in a more of an underground club,
so they need to they need to hear that you're on.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
So that would be my first thing.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
And I would say the first thing that I do
when I come off is probably drink some water because
I try I try not to drink throughout my SAT,
especially if I'm doing like a two three hour SAT,
I try not to drink because obviously needs to go
to the bathroom.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
So the first thing is definitely have had a drink
of water to hydrate.

Speaker 4 (06:10):
You're very practical about that, yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
Oh yeah, you've got to be because you know, I
can't just be going off the decks for five minutes
put a long song on.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
You know, it's got to be that I'm there to perform.

Speaker 4 (06:21):
So it's so funny you mentioned that recently.

Speaker 1 (06:24):
We were chatting with MAOPI and he was talking about
doing an extended set in Vegas and he had to
go to the bathroom and actually turn the music off,
told the crowd he'd be right back, and then came
back just so that they would know I get it.

Speaker 3 (06:39):
I get it.

Speaker 4 (06:49):
Now.

Speaker 1 (06:49):
Finally, in honor of the incredible success of Wrap Yourself
Around Me, what's the first thing you like to wrap
yourself in when you're not working.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
Family.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
I like to just be at home with my with
my family, and you know, I've got two young kids,
got an amazing wife, So it's just nice to be
at home and do normal things, you know, because that's
really what matters, you know, Like this is this is
all absolutely amazing.

Speaker 3 (07:16):
I'm so thankful for it.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
But at the same time, life's all about balance and
getting back. Being with the family just reps me up
ready for the next tour. And it's got to be
so refreshing when you get to spend time with the family.

Speaker 3 (07:30):
Exactly.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah, exactly, because it is you know, I won't complain
about but it's tough on the road and people people
don't really realize that. But this is everything that I've
worked for, you know, So I'm just I'm just so thankful, man,
I really am.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
Absolutely. Now let's talk about this smash. How was Wrap
Yourself Around Me born with North? So we actually did
this one remotely. I've never actually met North. How crazy
is that? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (07:57):
Yeah, yeah, so we did this remotely.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
I made the tune and we were back and forth
talking talking about stuff, and she sent it over the
vocal and she's got such an amazing voice. It was
It was a pleasure to work with it, even though
I didn't meet her in person. I think we're living
in an age now where that is quite quite the
norm to do.

Speaker 4 (08:19):
Yeah. They came around during the pandemic.

Speaker 3 (08:21):
Yeah, yeah, yes, exactly.

Speaker 2 (08:23):
Yeah, that's how a lot of my songs are now
created because I'm on the road a lot, and I
don't have time to actually meet up and go to
these studio sessions because the schedule is so crazy. So
I actually think I work better like this because I
can just get into it in my own time, and
I can really focus on the record and make the

(08:43):
record as best as it can be instead of the
pressure on the day of like we need to make
this record and you know, we need to write the
best song, and you know, a lot it's too much pressure.
Sometimes you know you've got to make it work on
that day. So I feel like this new method of
working really works for me.

Speaker 4 (09:01):
And how did you guys get linked up?

Speaker 2 (09:04):
I actually got sent something from her publisher, I think,
and I was like, I heard the tone of her
voice and I was like, this is you know shit,
I really really wanted to work with her.

Speaker 1 (09:13):
Yeah, she sounds amazing on the song. Now, how long
ago did you start working on it?

Speaker 3 (09:19):
Wow? That's really testing my memory there, good morning? Actually, yeah,
yeah exactly.

Speaker 2 (09:27):
Actually remember I think it was a round about November
time of last.

Speaker 4 (09:32):
Year, gotcha, So not that long ago. Now.

Speaker 1 (09:34):
Something I love to find out is how many different
versions there are of a song from when you start
working on it, all the tweaking that goes on when
you finally put it out. Do you remember what the
final v was of Wrap Yourself Around Me?

Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yeah? I think it was I think it was a
VA this one actually, and that's pretty.

Speaker 3 (09:53):
Good for me.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Is good some records I've gotten to, like be forty
two I think. But don't get me wrong, it's not.
These are not like completely separate versions. These there little
tweaks as I go along. Okay, maybe I should change that,
but I'll make a new version, like I'll say, like
V five V six. Yeah, I think this was around VA.

(10:16):
This record kind of flowed really naturally.

Speaker 1 (10:20):
A lot of artists that I talked to is pretty
much the same way. You know, you don't even realize
it that you're getting that high with your VS. Now,
are you the same where you normally go back to
an earlier version when you're finally done.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
Sometimes yeah, sometimes that that can be the case. You're like,
you spend weeks on it, and you're like, actually, I've
just made it sound worse. I think the.

Speaker 3 (10:43):
First version was actually the best version.

Speaker 1 (10:45):
Well, congratulations on the final version of it. It's an
absolute smash. Congratulations on your first number one.

Speaker 3 (10:53):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 4 (10:54):
Now, before I.

Speaker 1 (10:55):
Let you go, I asked chat ept to give me
a question that DoD has never been asked before.

Speaker 4 (11:02):
So let's test this out, all right, Okay, let's go.
I love how you're prepping yourself for it.

Speaker 3 (11:08):
I know, I know, I know.

Speaker 1 (11:10):
Now, if you could only communicate using sounds from your drops,
how would you say I'm hungry?

Speaker 4 (11:22):
I think I remember that from Wrap Yourself Around Me.

Speaker 2 (11:26):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, because that is how my brain thinks
when I'm hungry, and.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
That's how your belly sounds too, exactly do Congratulations, it's
so great catching up with you. Thank you so much
for your time with us on America's Dance thirty.

Speaker 3 (11:43):
II Can you take caf America's Dance thirty.

Speaker 4 (11:46):
Counting down the biggest dance songs in the country.

Speaker 1 (11:49):
America's Dance thirty
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