Singer, songwriter, and musician Damon McMahon is better known professionally as Amen Dunes. His musical career began in 1989 when his group Stand Proud released two cassette-only titles in 1988 and 1989. He and his brother Alexander – who was also a member of Stand Proud – formed the band Inouk and released one album, NO DANGER, and several EPs in 2004 before calling it quits. His next project was a solo album, MANSIONS, released on the Astralwerks label in 2006. That same year, Damon founded his Amen Dunes, which remains chiefly a solo project.

Amen Dunes’ debut album, DIA, was released in 2009. The album mixed folk music with a dark and harrowing atmosphere, creating something very unique. With the next three albums –THROUGH DONKEY JAW (2011), SPOILER (2013), and LOVE (2014) – Amen Dunes expanded on that sound, adding several different musical layers to the recordings. With the release of the album FREEDOM in 2018, the Amen Dunes sound had grown to incorporate many other sounds beyond the strum of his guitar and the occasional keyboard flourishes of previous albums. In a sense, his musical journey had reached a new level.

Signing with iconic label Sub Pop Records, Amen Dunes greets 2024 with the release of the album DEATH JOKES, his first album in six years. Recorded in his New York studio, the album features guest appearances from bassist Sam Wilkes, producers Christoffer Berg and Kwake Bass, as well as Panoram and Money Mark. Amen Dunes began work on the album just as the COVID-19 pandemic effectively changed our world forever. The songs on the album reflect upon that period in time – both directly and indirectly – and the songs contain the same haunting atmosphere of the time… and of Amen Dunes’ past recordings. DEATH JOKES is an honest album that pulls no punches… which is exactly what we need.  

AMEN DUNES

DEATH JOKES

Available NOW!