Formula Indie Sessions : Interview with DMac Burns
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I remember listening to Sade in my family’s apartment in Astoria Queens when I was like 3 or 4 years old. It really calmed me.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I had the option to learn an instrument in school when I was 11 years old, so I learned Saxophone and it got me hooked on music. Then when I was about 13 or 14 my friends formed a band and asked me to be the singer. I had never sung or written songs before, but they thought I would be good at it. I became obsessed with writing songs, and I figured out guitar with the help of a few friends and an uncle.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
DMac Burns, started as a solo project in an apartment in Washington Heights in NYC in 2020. I was making beats and writing songs in my apartment. I worked with some of my closest musical friends and made a couple EPs. But, in 2022 I ended up moving to West Cork, Ireland, where my wife is originally from. We were about to have our first child at the time and we had the opportunity to move into the old farmhouse that she grew up in, so we took it. I thought my musical journey would be sidelined by this, but only a few days after arriving in Ireland, I met keyboardist and dub-specialist Matías Saldivia who hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was playing guitar over looped reggae beats that he made after a local choir performed in a town hall. We immediately bonded over the fact that they were city boys living in rural Ireland with a shared love for roots reggae and dub, so we started writing and recording songs and playing gigs. Since then we’ve played at iconic festivals and venues in Ireland such as Electric Picnic and Connolly’s of Leap. We’ve released 3 EPs and countless singles on our own independent record label, Etéreo Sounds. And, we’ve collaborated with incredible musicians from all around the world. We’re only just getting started.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music
before?
I’d say it’s conscious lyrically driven reggae music, rooted in an unwavering appreciation for roots and dub.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
Having kids has taught me not to question my instincts creatively and to stop being as much of a perfectionist. I have two young children and that means I have way less free time, however, I’ve been more musically and creatively productive than ever before. That’s because I’ve learned how to act decisively and not question every idea so much.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Recently, I have been using a lot of voice notes to write so I can capture ideas right away. I also like writing with a guitar or keyboard when I can. When Matias and I get together, we use ableton to make loops so we can build all the elements of a song we’re writing very quickly. We’ll loop a drum beat, then make a bassline, keyboard part, guitar part, etc.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I don’t even know what indie means these days, haha. But some Irish artists I’m into right now are FyahRed, Cian Finn, Dan Taliras, Ta Seti Sound, and Black Turf.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Moving from New York City to the countryside in Ireland has massively influenced my music. I think it’s brought me back in touch with what I really love, which is reggae music and conscious music. I’ve become more committed to making songs that reject the powers that be, while staying uplifting at the same time.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope my work can inspire the listener to question authority, foster autonomy, and move through the world guided by love and unity.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
That anything is possible and that love expressed creatively is the strongest force in the world.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
I’d love to play Red Rocks in Colorado in the US. Part of me also wants to play the Beacon Theater in NYC. It’s not necessarily my dream venue, but I worked at the cocktail bar at the Hotel connected to that theater for about 7 years so it would be a real full circle moment to play there some day.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
That’s a tough one. There are some big names that would be easy to say, but if I’m being honest, I would love to work with Vaughn Benjamin of Midnite and Akae Beka. He left this world in 2019, but his voice, lyrics, and flow really changed the way I think about music and life. I think I’d learn a lot from collaboration with him.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
Latest Single,”Freedom Fighters”: https://lnk.dmsmusic.co/dmacburnssamandthewompdubfiets_freedomfighters
Website: https://www.dmacburns.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ErB3xCIPHcb3q4YHmi6We?si=_S1bbjapSSaoe3aRSISUuQ
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y9hMeB59WJsr2GBv3HN6g
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dmac_burns/
FB:https://www.facebook.com/dmacburnsmusic/
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@dmac_burns
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical
journey?
The dream is to get this music out to as many people around the world as possible. I would love to do some tours and play these songs for big crowds and I want to keep collaborating with likeminded musicians from all corners of the globe.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That this music has deep messages and meaning if you dive into the lyrics.
