My only Dolly story comes 2nd hand from someone at OceanWay in Nashville who told me when I was recording there once. She was in the kitchen there making tea for herself & an assistant came in. she asked him for creamer & he got nervous & spilled it everywhere while trying to get it for her (1/2)

From MotelVoid today "Vox Pterous is ultimately a record that rewards patience. It is not built around obvious hooks or conventional songwriting structures, but around atmosphere, texture, precision, and gradual emotional development." motelvoid.com/2026/08/24/r...

REVIEW: DREN MCDONALD – VOX PTEROUS

San Francisco Bay Area composer, producer, and musician Dren McDonald released Vox Pterous via Appearing Records this summer. The album takes the instrumental architecture of his acclaimed 2023 rec…

motelvoid.com

Shattered to hear about Frank Beard. Years ago friends & I put together a band for 1 show called Tres Hombres & we just played that record start to finish. Think those songs are simple? Getting them grooving w/the subtle rhythm stuff was a challenge! I will always b impressed by the LeGrange fill

I never thought that my music might be compared to a H. Bosch painting, but here we are! + they said "Dren McDonald has done what few artists manage: he has made something that transcends what language can measure or notes can contain." www.loudnessblog.com/vox-pterous #musicsky #indiemusic #artrock

Album Review: Dren McDonald – Vox Pterous

Bay Area composer Dren McDonald's latest project, Vox Pterous, came out at the end of July. The project has a deep backstory: back in 2023, he built Pterous — a collection of instrumental pieces as a ...

loudnessblog.com

SinusoidalMusic reviews Vox Pterous here - #musicsky #indiemusic "The lyrics, without the music, read like short poems, little pieces of someone’s life left behind, glimpses of scenes and sprinkles of memory all over. " sinusoidalmusic.com/reviews/musi...

Thanks for the nice review @yorkcalling.bsky.social

York Calling@yorkcalling.bsky.social · 2w ago

Dren McDonald Adds Voice to Some Familiar Compositions in New EP, Vox Pterous Dren McDonald is known to us as an instrumental composer and we’ve previously featured his two video… https://yorkcalling.co.uk/2026/08/13/dren-mcdonald-adds-voice-to-some-familiar-compositions-in-new-ep-vox-pterous/

Incredibly f-ed up situation created by Ice, an upstanding family of 3 w/ no record thrown into ice detention due to their bloodline www.thenation.com/article/soci... I'll put the gofundme in the 1st comment if you are so moved, as i was

One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention

My husband, son, and I have been locked up for months—despite being permanent residents with no criminal record. It is an unendurable, unending nightmare.

thenation.com

"Dren McDonald writes music for the attentive listener – someone willing to let the melody unfold slowly." from this lovely review in Voxwave voxwavemag.com/2026/08/10/v... #musicsky #indiemusic #minimalism

“Vox Pterous”: The Conversation with Loss That Dren McDonald Finally Gave a Voice

“Sometimes the only way to survive a loss is to create something,” Dren McDonald once admitted while working on his previous instrumental album, “Pterous.” At the time, that…

voxwavemag.com

"...an airy, dreamy feel of the compositions coming together that’s most rewarding about hearing this...Where does it leave us? Perhaps a little more at ease with the knowledge and feeling that life just dances in and around us in circles." #musicsky #indiemusic alt77.com/dren-mcdonal...

Dren McDonald - “Vox Pterous” Review

Things, for the most part, happen in the same way each day. Occasionally, we’re convinced that we can make sense of them. Sometimes, we even feel like we can hold dreams in the palm of...

alt77.com

Thanks @plasticmgzn.bsky.social for your wonderful review of the record! #musicsky #indiemusic

Plastic Mag@plasticmgzn.bsky.social · 3w ago

Dren McDonald releases new record 'Vox Pterous' | @drenmcdonald.com #drenmcdonald #voxpterous #new #music #newmusic #newmusicnow #ep #record #ambient #cinematic #orchestral #artist #composer #sanfrancisco #california #usa #plastic #plasticmag

Thanks to @obscuresound.bsky.social for the review of Vox Pterous! #indiemusic #musicsky #recording #musicproduction www.obscuresound.com/2026/08/dren...

Dren McDonald - 'Vox Pterous' | Obscure Sound

San Francisco-based composer Dren McDonald‘s album Vox Pterous is a deeply emotive exploration of grief, memory, and transformation, inviting a remarkable ensemble of singers into richly layered sonic...

obscuresound.com

I've had some rough times on tour, but never anything like this Ayers/Fela Nigerian tour. Talk about Heart of Darkness meets afrobeat! www.theguardian.com/music/2024/a...

‘Bass on one shoulder, bow and arrows on the other’: life with Fela Kuti on history’s most dangerous tour

In 1979, my father Roy Ayers went on an extraordinary three-week tour with the Afrobeat pioneer amid extreme violence in Nigeria. Three band members recount the unforgettable trip

theguardian.com

In the studio... www.youtube.com/shorts/W-Th4... #musicsky #recording #indiemusic

Sophia James in studio for Vox Pterous recording Fading

YouTube video by Dren McDonald

youtube.com

New video for "The Things He Could Bury" feat. Amelie Anna & Girl Swallows Nightingale w/ vintage footage of Tokyo in 1950. That must've been a huge camera they were pushing down the sidewalk! youtu.be/jC7qlXPDHyI

Dren McDonald - The Things He Could Bury ft. Amelie Anna, Girl Swallows Nightingale

YouTube video by DrenMcDonaldVEVO

youtu.be

Vox Pterous, my new record, is out on streaming today! Hi-5s to all of my collaborators, Sophia James, Carla Kihlstedt, Paula Frazer, Amelie Anna, Daria Novo, Lily Bloom, Girl Swallows Nightingale & Bryan Jerden! AppleMusic link below (atmos too) & its everywhere else music.apple.com/us/album/vox...

Vox Pterous by Dren Mcdonald on Apple Music

Album · 2026 · 6 Songs

music.apple.com

A flashback to the 1st Vox Pterous vocal session in Jan 24, w/ Sophia James at The Compound in Long Beach #musicsky #indiemusic #recordingstudio #recording

I guess you can pre-add on AppleMusic now too - link music.apple.com/au/album/a/6... #musicsky #indiemusic #atmos #spatialaudio

NPR had me on their Into Music program, thanks to Jedd for a great interview/story. www.kmuw.org/podcast/into... #musicsky #indiemusic #npr #nprmusic

Into Music: Dren McDonald

Revered composer Dren McDonald returns with Vox Pterous, a new new take on his expert 2023 album Pterous.

kmuw.org

For my Bandcamp friends, Vox Pterous (my new record w/guest vocalists on each song) is now out, including the CD, which you can order at BC. 1st 25 orders get a nice linen postcard w/a note from me as well. drenmcdonald.bandcamp.com/album/vox-pt... #musicsky #bandcamp #indiemusic #compactdisc #cd

Vox Pterous, by dren mcdonald

6 track album

drenmcdonald.bandcamp.com

I had a lovely chat with Marc Saltzman on his Tech It Out podcast about my new record (coming on friday!) & about scoring games. Thanks @marcsaltzman.bsky.social #musicsky #indiemusic

Marc Saltzman@marcsaltzman.bsky.social · last mo.

6/8: Also on the latest episode of #TechItOut, I'm joined by #musician #DrenMcDonald, who has composed #music for #videogames and #VR experiences for years, but he now tackles a more personal and sensitive topic. Thank you @drenmcdonald.com TECH IT OUT: marcsaltzman.com/podcasts

Oh wow it happened! Our little game passed the 50 review threshold to show "Very Positive" ✨

"a spellbinding and haunted atmospheric production that is catapulted by James’ ethereal vocals " - review of Fading in We All Want Someone To Shout For (THX!) Full length record is out on Friday! weallwantsomeone.org/2026/07/26/d... #musicsky #indiemusic

Dren McDonald - Fading (feat. Sophia James)

California-based musician Dren McDonald will return this week with his new album, Vox Pterous, which will be released via Appearing Records.  One of the stunning singles from the album is “Fading”, a ...

weallwantsomeone.org

Parlezvous Francais? A new review of Resting of Light on the French site, Iggy. www.iggymagazine.com/dren-mcdonal... #musicsky #indiemusic #cocteautwins

Dren McDonald pleure ses fantômes dans « Resting of Light »

Derrière la beauté suspendue de « Resting of Light », il y a un nom qu’on n’attendait pas forcément : Hardy Fox. Le compositeur californien Dren McDonald l’a confié lui-même, la chanson lui est direct...

iggymagazine.com

"If you are looking for more experimental and thoughtfully written music then you have come to the right place." LeFutureWave on resting of Light lefuturewave.com/2026/07/15/d...

Dren McDonald- Resting of Light (feat. Carla Kihlstedt & Amelie Anna) - Lefuturewave

Dren McDonald’s new single, Resting of Light, has a sonic similarity to Steve Reich, Kronos Quartet, and Björk. Its arrangement sounds amazing, highlighting multi-layered playing that’s constantly…

lefuturewave.com

Take a peek at our cozy, reactive pet Ember. She's a goofy, loveable companion with a mind of her own, and she's a great partner for adventuring into the wilds! My team really pulled together so many elements -- I love what we've created. Unique, cozy, magical. Chill adventures await!

HUGE DAY. We've been through a lot to get here, only because we kept believing and finding our path. Excited for the next phase with @tripmaster.bsky.social and the team!

Bernie Yee@tripmaster.bsky.social · last mo.

Launch day 🐾 We shipped TWO games today. Stay: Your Forever Pet: adventure with Ember in the Otherlands. Stay: Ember's Desktop Adventures: she lives on your desktop, chasing your cursor. #cozygames #indiegames #gamedev Both on Steam 👇 Made by @windupminds.com store.steampowered.com/app/4385270/...

Dear diary: Today we shipped a video game again store.steampowered.com/app/4385270/...

Stay: Your Forever Pet! on Steam

A cozy pet sim where you raise Ember, your magical fox-like companion. Bring her home, care for her, and venture into the Otherlands together -- deepening your bond one adventure at a time.

store.steampowered.com

Now you don't need a Quest to enjoy Ember's company! She's on Steam now in 2 flavors - the adventure game or as a desktop pal!

Stay: Forever Home@stay-forever-home.com · last mo.

Hey Everyone! Both Stay games are out now on Steam 🐾 Care for Ember in her cozy world, then bring your Ember to hang out on your desktop! Stay: Your Forever Pet store.steampowered.com/app/4385270/... Stay: Ember’s Desktop Adventures store.steampowered.com/app/4766080/...

New review for Resting of Light - "Feels suspended between memory and dream." pretty accurate description! www.nagamag.com/the-latest/d...

Dren McDonald x Carla Kihlstedt x Amelie Anna Shares New Track “Resting Of Light” - Rock Review and Thoughts

Resting Of Light is the result of a fresh collaboration between Dren McDonald x Carla Kihlstedt x Amelie Anna - full Rock review inside.

nagamag.com

I was recently introduced (thx daughter!) to Common Room coffee, & it's so good that I am posting about it. I have been pulling (delicious) espresso shots with the Costa Rica Esperanza bag this week. yeah it's expensive but great for an occasional treat www.commonroomroasters.com

Long Beach California Coffee Roasters – Common Room Roasters

Discover premium single-origin coffee, signature blends, and brewing gear at Common Room Roasters. Shop online or visit us in Long Beach for specialty coffee experiences.

commonroomroasters.com