Destin Dumais wrote “Daddy’s Love” during a rare quiet spell at home, with the older kids at school and his baby daughter in her swing. For the Geraldton singer-songwriter and father of eight, that small moment opened up a song about raising children and the faith that guides him through it. Family life gives him plenty to work with: arguments erupt, a spotless house turns chaotic, and love shares space with exhaustion.

He brings that same candour to our conversation, discussing the three children he and his wife took in after her brother’s death, the reactions to his debut single “Whoop the Devil,” and the family dental bills taking priority over his own missing front tooth. With “Holy Holy Praise and Glory” coming next, Dumais talks about putting his beliefs into song while learning to live with the attention that follows.

Hi Destin, it’s great to speak with you. Eight children make a fairly uncompromising focus group. What was their most brutally honest reaction to Daddy’s Love?

Hello, I’m honored, Thank you for having me. None of the kids had brutally honest reactions; they all loved the song and had nothing but great things to say about it. However not all our children are biologically ours. My wife’s Brother had passed away years back and we took in 3 of his Children. We love them as our own, but as you could imagine it brings up some very strong emotions.

Take us to the day this song began. What had happened in the house before you picked up the guitar?

Honestly, every day is pretty crazy and chaotic, one second everyone’s laughing the next they’re all fighting. One second the house is spotless, the next is a disaster and the constant noise level is outrageous. One day I had the day off work, the kids were gone to school, my wife was gone, I was alone with the baby. I was thinking about life, love and God. I put the baby down in the swing, picked up the guitar and started singing to her. Next thing you know I had this beautiful song.

Fatherhood supplies plenty of love, exhaustion, irritation and guilt within the same afternoon. Which of those emotions proved hardest to sing truthfully?

I can’t really say there was anything that was hard to sing about. Each of those emotions are something that I feel daily and I’m not ashamed of the guilt and the irritation and the mistakes I make daily. At the end of the day I love these kids more than they can imagine and am truly blessed to live the life I have.

When you sing the word “Daddy,” how much of the song belongs to your relationship with your children and how much belongs to your relationship with God?

Good question. As a Christian Father my job is to represent God and to impart the character and love of our heavenly father to my children. Truthfully I’m not always good at it. I get tired, I get irritated, and I constantly make mistakes but I do my best. “I love because God first loved me”. I would have to say it’s 50/50 I wrote trying to express the way God has loved me and how a father should love his children.

Did anyone in your family receive veto power over a lyric that came too close to a private moment?

Noo the lyrics were never an issue however When it came to the music video we filmed as a family, some of the children wanted things to be a certain way and tried to change the vision I had for it but I said no and they got over it.

Your first single was called Whoop the Devil, which is a wonderfully combative way to introduce yourself. What did releasing it teach you about the public version of Destin Dumais?

I’ve learned that I got to get myself out there and a little more and out of my comfort zone. I honestly don’t like the idea of being in the public eye and the persecution and many things that come with it. The first day I released Whoop The Devil I already started getting some hat full messages and rude comments but it was expected. I don’t want fame and glory for myself. I’m happy just being the Donkey Jesus rides on.

Christian music can comfort the faithful and lose everyone outside the church within the same verse. How do you write about Jesus while keeping the door open to a listener with a completely different belief system?

Honestly it never really crossed my mind. I just prayed and said to God if this is something you want me to do give me the words to write. I said amen grabbed a pen and effortlessly and in no time at all I had an album of songs ready to be recorded. I wrote what I believe God wanted me too and I believe it will impact and reach those who it was meant to reach.

The phrase “richer than money” has to survive grocery bills, school expenses and the daily cost of raising eight children. When has that belief faced its hardest practical test?

There are so many tests and some I guess maybe I’m not ready to share yet. But I’d like to have a front tooth again lol. I’m too busy paying dental bills for the 8 of them. One day my time will come I guess.

What part of life in Geraldton deserves a place in a country song and rarely receives one?

Geraldton is a very small town and a different lifestyle than your typical western country folks. There is no farm land up here and the nearest horse I know of is like 3 hr drive away. The winters are long and awfully cold. I wrote a song for my wife a few years ago about getting through the winter blues that maybe I’ll put out one day.

With two singles now establishing your voice, tell us which subject you are ready to confront next.

I guess I have established myself as more of a Christian Country/ Rock singer/song writer but not all the songs I have coming out would fit that genre. The next song to be released Next Month is a worship song called Holy Holy Praise and Glory its more contemporary rock then anything. It’s the first song I wrote for this project and I really enjoy it.

Thank you so much to the sound ville team for this opportunity to share my thoughts and music. I really appreciate this.