After months of change and difficult transitions, South African pop
artist, Dan Duminy is back with his latest single, Kickin’ The Door Down. A song about opening
your heart to someone who has been trying to love you, even when you’re carrying fear from
things that have happened in the past.
“I think heartbreak can make you protect yourself to the
point where you don’t even realise you’re shutting out something that could be really good for
you,
” Dan shares. Kickin’ The Door Down is that moment where you say,
“You know what, I’m
ready. I’m not going to let what happened before stop me from seeing what could happen next.
”
Dan worked with Jordan James on the track and it was mixed by Jean Marie Hovart.
“They both
brought something really special to the record and I’m excited for people to finally hear it.
”
2026 has brought about unexpected changes and transitions that had Dan scrap the EP he was
originally working towards and find a new direction with a project that reflects more on who he is
and now.
“I made the decision to go back to the drawing board because when I listened back to
the music, it just didn’t feel like me anymore.
” Honesty is the cornerstone of Dan’s music and it’s
important to him that when his debut project comes out that it reflects who he is at that point.
“This has been a very honest process. I’ve had to really ask myself what I want to say and what
kind of artist I want to be.
” Almost a decade in the industry, Dan has made a lot of music
throughout that time that reflected who he was at those stages in his life.
“I’ve grown a lot as an
artist because I’ve grown a lot as a person.
“I don’t think you can separate the two.
”
If one had to title this new era of Dan’s, he would choose to call it ‘My Time’
.
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“It feels like I’ve
reached a point where everything is finally starting to make sense. I’ve been doing this foralmost ten years and there have been so many different stages of the journey, but this feels like
a completely new chapter. It’s not just about Dan Duminy the artist anymore. It feels like it’s
finally time for Dan Duminy as a person too. I’m more comfortable with who I am, more
confident in what I want and much clearer about the direction I’m going in.
”
More clarity has been an exciting prospect that has allowed him more freedom by going back to
the drawing board.
“I’m not trying to make music just because I think it sounds good. I’m
thinking more about whether it feels real to me and whether I’m going to be proud of it years
from now. I’m really diving into the details of this project now, from how it sounds to how it looks
and ultimately how I want people to feel when they experience it.
”
“This year has definitely been one of transition. I’ve had some difficult personal experiences,
most importantly losing my grandpa, which has made me look at a lot of things differently.
” At
the same time he has had positive changes professionally that has opened him up to a new set
of opportunities.
“It’s been a year of a lot of change, but I think that change is going to be
reflected in the music.
”
Scrapping the original project was a big decision, but looking back, it was the right decision for
him.
“Being able to recognise that something wasn’t right and have the courage to start again
has probably been one of the most important things I’ve done this year.
”
“I have a lot more to say now and I’m excited to put that into the music.
”
Stream Kickin’ The Door Down here.
Follow Dan Duminy on social media: @realdanduminy
