/

June 21, 2025

Denham Delivers

News Headlines

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — He’s an up-and-coming singer/songwriter from Sioux Falls who is on a mission to create a sound all his own and hoping to hit the big time.

Meet the artist who is simply known as Denham.

Brookings road buckles under scorching temps

His name is Denham McDermott, but on stage, he goes strictly just by Denham.

Denham writes and sings most of his own original music in almost every genre.

“I have country songs, I have rock songs, I have hip hop songs, I have jazz songs, electronic music songs,” Denham said.

Denham says while he can sing just about anything, he’s hoping to cross that line between country and rock and the place to do that, he says, is in Nashville.

“That blurred line is actually becoming, how I came into the picture, because a lot of the industry is leaving LA and leaving New York and they are finding a different place to live at and it’s blending into places like Nashville and Austin, Texas, so its a good opportunity for me to get in and introduce something new, new kind of voice, a new kind of sound in there,” Denham said.

Denham grew up in Aberdeen and always knew he had a gift.

But he moved to Sioux Falls, because as he got older he had bigger dreams.

“I feel like any musician there comes a moment in time where you find your bond, your love with music,” Denham said.

That moment came at a time when he was feeling a little down, so he grabbed his guitar and wrote his first song called ‘Shut Up.’

“I had been making music before that for a few years, but that moment hit was a moment was really like, this is what I’m meant to do,” Denham said.

When he’s not touring or performing locally, Denham spends a lot of his time here at his recording studio writing and recording songs.

So, who does he think he kind of sounds like?

“I love this question, but hate it at the same time because I try to be me as much as possible and I love the fact when people hear my music they can’t say I sound like somebody else, they’re like, you sound like you,” Denham said.

And that you or unique sound is why he thinks he might have a chance in Nashville.

“I’ve played in over half the states in America and I’ve been to a lot of different cities and nothing quite felt like home like that city did to me,” Denham said. “I think I can kind of put my footprint in the music industry by being out there and giving them a little something different.”

Something different from a guy in little ol’ South Dakota.

“One of the best parts about being from here when I’m in Nashville and working with everybody, is that they don’t really meet anyone from South Dakota and so when I say I’m from here, they might tease me a little bit, but they always remember,” Denham said.

And only time will tell if Denham can deliver.

Denham hopes to move to Nashville later this summer. To check out some of his music and his upcoming performances, click here.