Denham Music

Rap? Hip hop? R&B? Pop?

It's hard to find one genre that fits Denham's musical style, but the Aberdeen native is gaining momentum on the local scene.

He released his debut album "Diaries of Distress" in January, showcasing an original sound with a broad appeal.

"The best compliment I get from other people is that I don’t sound like anybody else," said Denham McDermott, 26, who grew up in a musical family.

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When people first hear his music, some label him a rapper. To Denham, that classification comes with a bit of a negative stigma in Sioux Falls.

"Getting past that hump was difficult, but once I started putting out more content, people started seeing more of what I can do," he said.

Denham largely classifies his music as pop, with bits of R&B and rap thrown in. His songs are often structured like modern hits with a repeating chorus.


"It’s kind of predictable, but the sound isn’t," said the singer, who also plays bass guitar.

Wes Eisenhauer, of the local hip hop group Soulcrate, discovered the rising star last year, and invited him to perform at last summer's That Sounds Decent festival.

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"To see someone who really cares and to be really putting their all into it, I think that’s what made him stand out to us," said Eisenhauer.

"I saw him giving it a solid try and putting real thought behind his music, as well as his live show, which is really important to me," continued Eisenhauer. "I’m not going to put somebody in That Sounds Decent who isn’t doing something interesting."

Denham delivered, bringing backup dancers, engaging the audience and filling the downtown air with new beats during his performance.

"We had a lot of people reach out to us after and ask, 'Who is that? Is he from here?'" said Eisenhauer, who is now collaborating with Denham on a single slated to release on Valentine's Day.

Denham also made an appearance this summer on JazzFest's second stage, a popular milestone for local artists.

The singer didn't start taking a music career seriously until moving to Sioux Falls a few years ago.

He was studying criminal justice at North Dakota State University when he came down to Sioux Falls for a Soulcrate concert at The District. The fact that a local band could sell out a 1,500-capacity venue amazed him.

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"In Fargo, the local art and music scene wasn’t that important to the city," said Denham. "I came down here and people actually had jobs and careers doing what they wanted to do. They’re living a life of art."

Eisenhauer, a veteran of the local music scene, echoes Denham's observations.

"Sioux Falls has a vibe about it where people are really enthusiastic about live music, but it’s also not an easy thing to do to get people to care," said Eisenahuer. "To see him notice what was going on here and to come down here, invest in the community and make friends, it’s nice to see that pay off for him."

The biggest challenge for Denham at first was getting people to believe in him.

"I feel as long as you take care of your craft and your hustle, everything else just starts to happen," said the singer.

With the release of his new album and a slew of upcoming shows, it seems that Denham's hard work is starting to pay off.

"It’s liberating to myself to let out this art, because I’ve had it trapped in my mind for so long," he said.

The EP "Diaries of Distress" is available now at most major music outlets and denham-music.com.

"This album is a little darker because it was a really rough time in my life," said Denham. "Through those ups and downs is how artists thrive. You need that contrast to find balance and to also understand yourself. The more you understand yourself, the more you can interpret your art."

Denham's favorite song off the album is the ballad "Ménage À Trois," which he says might come off at first as "brash."

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"It’s actually about being with one girl who is three different people," said Denham. "Loving both sides of them even though one is detrimental to you and the other is the side that you fell in love with."

Looking forward, Denham hopes to break out of the local market and do more out-of-state shows. His goal is to perform 75 concerts this year around the region. Also, he hopes to use his art toward pushing positive change.

"In the future, I just want to help. I want to find ways to make my immediate part of the world a better place," said Denham. "I feel like my most effective tool that I can use is music."

In the meantime, Denham is dedicated to doing what he loves – and he knows he'll need hustle to make it happen.

As he says in one of his songs, "A dream without a plan is just a dream."

If you have an event or story idea that fits into the Sioux Falls dining or entertainment theme, Alexa Giebink can be reached at agiebink@argusleader.com. Follow her on twitter @ArgusAGiebink - Argus Leader

Local musician Denham will be performing at ICON Lounge in Sioux Falls March 16. Denham McDermott is a local musician who continues to grow throughout the Sioux Falls area.


Here is a look at his upcoming shows:
March 15th Slackers Aberdeen, SD
March 16th Icon Event Hall + Lounge Sioux Falls, SD
March 22nd Original Bar Minot, ND
March 24th The Aquarium Fargo, ND
March 31st What's Up lounge Mankato, MN

To learn more about him, check him out here:
Denham Music Denham's Website - KSFY