Amen Dunes Brings ‘Death Jokes’ To KEXP

Amen Dunes, the project of singer-songwriter Damon McMahon, swung by KEXP’s Seattle studios in August for a four-song performance. McMahon and company offered songs from Amen Dunes’ 2024 album, Death Jokes.

Death Jokes arrived on May 10 via famed Seattle label Sub Pop Records. The LP marked Amen Dunes’ first full-length project on Sub Pop and first studio album since 2018’s Freedom.

Press materials for Death Jokes further detailed the record:

“Though the eerie, modern blend of folk and blues that Amen Dunes is best known for is very much present here, Death Jokes is a major departure, an ambitious electronic album that reveals new artistic abilities and concerns. On most songs, Damon incorporated sounds, talking, and music pilfered from YouTube, and the vast collage of samples includes Nadia Boulanger giving advice in French, an ancient music scholar’s lyre performance of the oldest written song in human history, protest chants, a grunting powerlifter, and bits of stand-up from Lenny Bruce, and others, included as ‘thought provocation and irritant.’”

McMahon and his band — drummer Craig Weinrib, bassist Martin Nevin and keyboardist Raffaele Martirani — kicked off their KEXP session with Death Jokes single “Boys,” followed by the song’s deep cut companion on the record, “Exodus.” Another Death Jokes single, “Purple Land,” followed before McMahon and company wrapped the session with “I Don’t Mind.”

Watch Amen Dunes perform Live on KEXP and chat with host Cheryl Waters below: