Have you ever wondered why some artists give themselves stage names when they’re a one-person act? Sometimes their stage name is just easier to say and remember – like Lady Gaga, whose real name is lengthy and Italian.

But other times, like in the case of Amen Dunes, their birth name just doesn’t vibe with the music. Can you imagine, Amen Dunes was called Damon McMahon instead? That name sounds more like a bagpipe player than a lo-fi psych creator. Maybe Damon got the idea to change his name into a stage name from his first band, Inouk, which has a similar vague feel. As much as we speculate, we may never know the true answer.

What We Do Know

While we don’t know exactly where the name Amen Dunes came from, we do know that it wasn’t always his musical moniker. He put out his first album, Mansions, with his birth name in 2006. It wasn’t until he moved to China that he started making music as Amen Dunes, a project he thought (at first) was just for himself. Instead, it got into the hands of Locust Music, who encouraged him to publish these previously-private sessions. And that’s how Amen Dunes was born.

A Well-Traveled Artist

One reason Amen Dunes’ sound has changed so much over the years is that he keeps recording it in different places. He started out in Philadelphia, moved to the Catskills, then to China, and landed in NYC. Each place he recorded had a different influence on his music, which you can hear change if you listen to his albums back to back.

His last album wasn’t made in Italy but was produced with help from an Italian man. There are slight undertones of Italian culture in it if you listen closely. Damon, or Amen Dunes, isn’t done traveling and making music. Not in the least. He goes on tour whenever he can – seeing new places and making new sounds.