Kenny Duerlund: I'm trying to stay true to myself as a performer, and I kinda like to just let the music speak for itself

Photo: Agnete Schlichtkrull © dr

When I heard the 9 songs that took part of the DMGP radio semifinals, "Forget it all" was one of the songs I liked the most and I gotta say that after listening to the finalists, it still is one of my favorites, here are Kenny's answers:
Name: Kenny Duerlund
Birthday: December 12, 1991
Height: 186 cm / 6 ft, 1"
Favorite color: Black
Favorite food: Pizza
What’s your strangest talent? Haha, ugh. This is tough. Is it strange that I can do a standing backlflip? Or wiggle my ears, maybe?
What is the strangest thing you have in your room? Haha, well. I have two lightsabers that I built from scratch. Pretty strange, I guess.
What are you really good at? Singing would be the obvious answer, but I'm also pretty good with kids. I have a bachelors degree in kindergarten teaching. 
What are you really bad at? Losing at boardgames. Or playstation games. Can't deal with it, just pisses me off, haha.
Childhood idol: Fictional, Anakin Skywalker. Non-fictional, Michael Jackson.
Childhood memory: I remember my friends at the boy scouts, paying me in candy to stop singing. Ironic?
Celebrity crush: Oh gee, there's a lot. Emma Watson, Margot Robbie, and Emilia Clarke, must be my top three
Tell me something no one knows about you: Haha, uhm, I have no idea.
Who would you cast to play you in a movie about your life? Probably someone like Heath Ledger, may he rest in peace.
What would the title of that movie be? Something melancholic I think, haha.
Favorite movie: Interstellar
Favorite TV series: Friends
Dish/Snack/Beverage/Candy we should try if we ever visit Denmark: Liquorice, of course 😉
What is your guilty pleasure? Shakira's debut album, "Laundry Service", 2001. That's good shit.
If you were a girl for a day, what would you do? Look at my boobs, probably. I wanna say something clever, but come on. All boys would.
Can you recommend us a song (old or new) from a Danish artist? "Whispering At The Top Of My Lungs", by Tim Christensen.
Can you teach me some interesting words in Danish? I like the word "Gavtyv". It's kinda slang for someone who's a bit of a bandit, but in a good way. We use it a lot with kids for example

Photo: Agnete Schlichtkrull © dr

Hello Kenny! Welcome to the Eurovision universe!
Thanks man!

How would you describe yourself as an artist?
Uhm, well. I see myself as kind of a weird one, cause I'm not a 100% anything. I sing, I act, I play, I write. So I guess I see myself as kind of a low key all rounder type of guy. I just do whatever comes to mind, I like to challenge myself, and try stuff out.

You are one of the participants of DMGP 2020, how did it all begin?
Well, I've done a lot of musicals in DK, and have a pretty solid musical network, and so DR just called me up and asked if I wanted to sing this song for the semi finals, and then it just rolled from there.

"Forget it all" is the title of your song, and it's written by you, Henrik Tala, Mila Falls and Patrick Jean, how was it to work with them?
Those guys are amazing, I mean, they're just so nice and easy to work with. Very open, and creative. Such pleasure!

What’s the story behind the song?

The song is not written with anyone special in mind, it's written about that universal feeling of losing yourself in negative emotions, due to past experiences, and then meeting someone who kind of "resets" you, in a way. Something we all know, I'm sure.

What can we expect to see on stage for the performance?
The stage performance will be mostly about the music and the singing, I'm trying to stay true to myself as a performer, and I kinda like to just let the music speak for itself.

What do you like about Eurovision?
I love the scale, and the way it brings people together across the globe. It's just admirable.

What do you dislike about Eurovision?
If I have to say something, it'll have to be that it has become a "genre" for itself. I mean, you hear a lot about people talking about "Eurovision quality", or thats songs are or are not "Eurovision-sounding". Like some songs, even good ones, are not fit for the contest, because they don't have "that sound". 

Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:
Natural: Women
Dust: Stars
Mysterious: Life
Bounce: Logic Pro X. (Recording program for Mac, bouncing is when you export the song you recorded)
Applause: Performance

What are your plans for 2020?
None special yet, but hopefully lots of music, moviemaking and other great creative stuff!

Is there anything you want to say to close the interview?
I really value your interest, thanks so much for doing this! 

Photo: Agnete Schlichtkrull © dr

Thanks to Kenny for the interview!

Instagram: kennyduerlund