DMac Burns
DMac Burns - stage name of singer-songwriter Danny McDonald - combines elements of reggae, dub, r&b, indie rock, and more into heartfelt lyrically rich songs. Raised in New York City, DMac Burns began as a solo project in an apartment in Washington Heights in 2020. After moving to West Cork, Ireland, in 2022 he met keyboardist and dub- specialist Matías Saldivia who hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The two bonded over the fact that they were city boys living in rural Ireland with a shared love for roots reggae and dub.
Over the next year and a half they spent most of their time writing, recording, and refining a live set that features many styles played over a backbone of dub reggae. They can be found gigging as a two piece (looping and live dubbing bass, keys, guitar, vocals and melodica over beat samples from world class drummers) or with a full band. In June 2024 they released, Pulse, a 4 song EP featuring mixes and dubs from legendary reggae producer, musician, and Easy Star Records collaborator, Victor Rice.
Spending his early childhood in Queens, and then growing up in the Bronx, Danny was shaped by the wide array of culture that New York City has to offer. He cut his teeth playing in punk bands before refining his style in reggae outfit, Rocky and The Pressers. Prior to moving to Ireland, he released his debut DMac Burns EP in 2020 featuring collaborations from industry veterans Marc Campbell of MisterWives, Grammy-nominated instrumentalist Jesse Blum (Nas, Hit-Boy, Twenty One Pilots),along with drummer/vocalist Seth Nicholson and bassist Rocky Russo. While recording his last EP, The Longest Night, with producer Julian Giaimo in 2022, McDonald learned he would become a father, prompting a relocation to his wife's family home in West Cork.
DMac Burns’ music offers a soundscape that defies the confines of traditional genres. On a Jamaican roots foundation, he builds an experience combining the hustle of the Bronx and the tranquility of the lush Irish countryside. He addresses introspective themes and invites listeners to confront the darkness within themselves and the world around them, encouraging them to delve into the challenges and struggles of our modern existence, aiming to provoke a discussion about the direction of our collective journey.