Damon McMahon

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Damon McMahon

| image = Damon McMahon, September 2014.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = McMahon in 2014

| birth_name =

| alias =

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1980}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/story/amen-dunes-damon-mcmahon-matthew-williams-alyx-fashion-shoot|title=Damon McMahon of Amen Dunes Just Released the Best Album of 2018 (So Far)|last=Hine|first=Samuel|date=March 30, 2018|magazine=GQ|accessdate=January 6, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bjreview.com/eye/txt/2008-06/03/content_124868.htm|title=Crooning in China|last=Sartor|first=Valerie|date=June 3, 2008|magazine=Beijing Review|accessdate=March 12, 2019}}

| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| origin =

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| genre =

| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}}

| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|piano}}

| years_active = 2003–present

| label = {{hlist|Astralwerks|EMI}}

| associated_acts = {{hlist|Amen Dunes|Inouk}}

| website =

}}

Damon Duell McMahon{{cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/890096115 |title=BABA YAGA |website=ASCAP |publisher=American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers |access-date=November 12, 2023}} is an American indie rock musician and the primary member of the musical project Amen Dunes.{{cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2018/04/03/amen-dunes-freedom-interview|title=Amen Dunes has always written pop songs. Now he wants people to actually hear them.|last=Baird|first=Saxon|date=April 3, 2018|website=The Fader|accessdate=January 6, 2019}} Originally from Philadelphia, he is currently based in New York City.[https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dGYCVlFsgSscYCWPE8Vva?si=1f2f6485d9884608], How Long Gone Episode 650- Amen Dunes.

Early life and education

McMahon was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Weston, Connecticut.{{cite web|url=https://creativeloafing.com/content-161189-Amen-Dunes-keeps-roving|title=Amen Dunes keeps roving|last=Cantor|first=Dave|date=June 25, 2014|newspaper=Creative Loafing Atlanta|accessdate=January 6, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2018/03/amen-dunes-freedom-interview/|title=Q&A: Amen Dunes on the Meaning of Freedom|last=Gaca|first=Anna|date=March 23, 2018|magazine=Spin|accessdate=January 6, 2019}} His mother, Thea Duell, was a prolific painter and sculptor, a lawyer at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and the head of a real estate company in New York City. She died on June 27, 2018.{{cite web|url=https://vineyardgazette.com/obituaries/2018/07/05/thea-duell-prolific-painter-and-sculptor-renaissance-woman|title=Thea Duell, Prolific Painter and Sculptor, Renaissance Woman|date=July 5, 2018|newspaper=Vineyard Gazette|accessdate=January 6, 2019}} She was a Jewish American and a child of survivors of the Holocaust. His father is an Irish Catholic "working-class guy" from Philadelphia.{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/music-2/amen-dunes-damon-mcmahon-interview-freedom/ |title=An intimate interview with Amen Dunes, maestro of the sublime |website=Huckmag.com |date=2018-04-05 |accessdate=2020-04-06}} McMahon attended his mother's alma mater, Swarthmore College, where he studied Chinese as an English Literature and Performance double major.{{cite web|url=http://www.imposemagazine.com/features/talking-with-amen-dunes|title=Talking with Amen Dunes|last=Beusman|first=Mikaila|website=Impose Magazine|accessdate=January 6, 2019}}

Career

McMahon was previously a member of short-lived NYC group Inouk. Originally formed in Philadelphia, Inouk was made up of McMahon on guitar and vocals, his brother, Alexander McMahon on guitar, keyboard, and vocals, Ian Fenger on lead guitar, Jesse Johnson on bass and vocals, and Glen Brasile on drums.{{cite news|title=Inouk: Bio|url=http://www.inouk.net:80/inoukwebsite/bio.htm|work=Inouk.net|date=2004|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040607024958/http://www.inouk.net/inoukwebsite/bio.htm|archivedate=2004-06-07|access-date=2018-10-15|url-status=live}} In 2004, Inouk released a 4-song EP recorded by Chris Zane called Search For The Bees on Say Hey Records, followed by a full length record called No Danger later in 2004, also on Say Hey Records.{{cite news|last1=Laurence|first1=Alexander|title=Inouk|url=http://freewilliamsburg.com/2004/inouk.html|work=Free Williamsburg|date=2004}}

He also recorded a solo album under his own name called Mansions on Astralwerks.{{cite news|last1=Parks|first1=Andrew|title=The Strange Loves of Amen Dunes|url=http://www.wonderingsound.com/feature/amen-dunes-interview/|work=Wondering Sound|date=12 May 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513050219/http://www.wonderingsound.com/feature/amen-dunes-interview/|archivedate=13 May 2014}}

Personal life

McMahon currently lives in Brooklyn.{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/featured/amen-dunes-interview-2018-freedom/|title=The End And Beginning Of Amen Dunes|last=Leas|first=Ryan|date=December 3, 2018|website=Stereogum|accessdate=January 6, 2019}} He has previously lived in Los Angeles, Taiwan, Nanjing and Beijing.[https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dGYCVlFsgSscYCWPE8Vva?si=1f2f6485d9884608], How Long Gone Episode 650- Amen Dunes.

In December 2018, comments made by McMahon during an interview with No Fear of Pop in 2014 were recirculated on social media.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/amen-dunes-opens-up-about-childhood-sexual-abuse/|title=Amen Dunes Opens Up About Childhood Sexual Abuse|last=Sodomsky|first=Sam|date=December 31, 2018|website=Pitchfork|accessdate=January 6, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/12/amen-dunes-damon-mcmahon-addresses-childhood-abuse.html|title=Amen Dunes' Damon McMahon Addresses Childhood Abuse in Statement|last=Kamp|first=Justin|date=December 31, 2018|website=Paste|accessdate=January 6, 2019}} In the interview, McMahon replied that he did not wish to collaborate with female musicians, stating, "I don't think my energy would work with that. I mean, I love women, and I have plenty of female friends, but I don't think my energy would work with a woman. I don't know, I can't imagine it, actually. It's just not my vibe, and I don't mean that in any kind of disparaging or critical way; I just don't think chemically it'll work."{{cite web|url=http://www.nofearofpop.net/blog/interview-amen-dunes-on-confinement-astrology-and-the-masculinity-of-love|title=Interview: Amen Dunes on Confinement, Astrology, and The Masculinity of "Love"|last=Malinowski|first=Evelyn|date=May 12, 2014|website=No Fear of Pop|accessdate=January 6, 2019|archive-date=January 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107072434/http://www.nofearofpop.net/blog/interview-amen-dunes-on-confinement-astrology-and-the-masculinity-of-love|url-status=dead}} McMahon responded with a post on Amen Dunes' Facebook page, where revealed that he had been sexually abused by two different adult women throughout his adolescence, between the ages of 9 and 18. He said, "When I finally reached an age where I gained enough courage to begin to acknowledge what happened to me, Amen Dunes became a form of my own therapy. It was the one safe space I had to explore the feelings and the trauma from childhood, and to start to try and reclaim my identity and sexuality as a man."{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2018/12/amen-dunes-explains-his-quote-about-not-collaborating-with-women/|title=Amen Dunes Explains His Quote About Not Collaborating with Women|last=Arcand|first=Rob|date=December 30, 2018|magazine=Spin|accessdate=January 6, 2019}} He also said, "I realize without giving context, my answer was not phrased well. At that time I did not feel it appropriate, nor was I healed enough, to explain my reason in detail."{{cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2018/12/31/amen-dunes-damon-mcmahon-sexual-abuse|title=Amen Dunes discusses history of childhood sexual abuse|last=Renshaw|first=David|date=December 31, 2018|website=The Fader|accessdate=January 6, 2019}} The recirculation of McMahon's prior comments on social media without context has been labeled as an example of cancel culture.{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/music/amen-dunes-childhood-sexual-abuse/|title=Amen Dunes Discussed His Childhood Sexual Abuse Following Criticism Of His Past Comments About Women|last=Cosores|first=Philip|date=December 31, 2018|website=UPROXX|accessdate=January 6, 2019}}