OKLAHOMA! Star Damon Daunno Releases Debut Single 'Time Machine'

Tony-nominated actor Damon Daunno has just dropped his first single.

While Daunno may be a “new artist” when it comes to releasing his own music, he is hardly a novice. With a compelling, acrobatic voice that defies stereotypical/traditional Broadway categorization, his heralded work on stage (and cast recordings) has earned him a devoted following.

From originating the role of Orpheus in Hadestown to starring in Daniel Fish’s lauded revival of Oklahoma!, Damon’s success on and off Broadway has led to numerous awards and nominations, including Tonys, Grammys, Drama Desks and Lortels. His magnetic presence and charismatic performance style has given him opportunities to share the stage with artists like Chris Thiele, Emily King, Cecile Mclorin Salvant and Guster, and has performed at venues such as Studio 54, Radio City Music Hall, Town Hall, Beacon Theater, and St. Ann's Warehouse. But now, Daunno is stepping out for the first time to share his own music with the world.

His first song “Time Machine” is a mid tempo meditation on holding on and letting go - a dance between grasping and releasing, ego and heart. An undulation of modern synth bass grounds the nostalgic melting pot of silken orchestration, breezy tropicalia and winding harmony. Daunno and co-writer/producer Deidre Muro (Savoir Adore, Deidre & the Dark) combine mutual influences creating a sublimely unique sonic palette. Lilting Hawaiian lap steel (a byproduct of Daunno’s pandemic-era studies with the legendary Alan Akaka) longingly floats above grinding percussion, juxtaposing one’s impressions of a broken past and idyllic future.

“Essentially it's a cautionary tale of woe,” says Daunno. “There’s clarity that comes from humility and hindsight. There’s acceptance that follows understanding and true remorse. During that process we memorialize our lives, our past, our experiences and collect them and place them in boxes in our minds or on our mantles. Like the lyric,‘Another butterfly behind a pane of glass, just a trophy not the truth’ - there's heartbreak in that there's beauty and there's a bit of horror.” Throughout “Time Machine,” Daunno’s singular voice keens across a vast spectrum of emotion, from warm reverie to unhinged denial, like only he can.

Time Machine is out now via Brooklyn label Sunken Living Room, a new imprint curated by Deidre Muro and part of the YouTooCanWoo family (toucan sounds, French Horn Rebellion & more), with more singles to follow this year. You can see Damon performing in the cast of The Lonely Few at the MCC Theater starting April 27, 2024.

Listen to the song here!