June McDoom’s Dreamlike Soundscape Where Folk and Dub Converge

Last Updated on 2026-10-16 by a-indie

What I find in June McDoom’s music is a depth that seems to have no end.

Raised in a Jamaican immigrant family in South Florida, June grew up surrounded by music. Rooted in her heritage, the harmonies that embrace a wide range of sounds and emotions bring a rich sense of expansiveness to her music.

The shimmer of the harp transforms the landscape before me, while her soft, air-shifting voice gently tickles my ears. I follow that voice into a world that seems, at first, to lie far beyond reality, in a realm of pure imagination. Yet I soon realize that this world stretches deep within me, in the innermost reaches of my own heart.

As I surrender to the layers of sound, from guitar to harp, it feels as though I am carefully gathering up the feelings and memories that have shaped who I am, one by one. In doing so, I come to recognize just how vast and abundant the universe within me truly is.

Released just before the arrival of winter, June’s debut album, 『Follow The Light』, offers a quiet warmth. As we drift off to sleep carrying both the joys and the sorrows of our everyday lives, its light flickers beside us like a fire in the hearth, wrapping us in a tender embrace.

What inspired June to kindle such a light through her music, and what did she hope to express through this work? Let’s listen to her words.

Table of Contents

An Interview with June McDoom

Artist: June McDoom
Interviewer: Wakiki
Translation, Editing, and Proofreading: BELONG Media / A-indie

June McDoom「Without You」(Official Video)
From the Debut Album『Follow The Light』

Growing Up Surrounded by Jamaican Music

－Wakiki: I understand that you grew up in a home filled with Jamaican music. Are there any particular memories, scenes, or moments from your childhood involving music that have stayed with you over the years? And how do you think those early musical experiences have shaped the music you make today?
June: The memories seeing my grandpa’s mento band (Jamaican folk music that includes banjo flute violin guitar ) play at family parties was very special for me as kid. My dad used to loved to dj a lot so I grew up listening to that around the house. I think without me realizing until recently with this album, growing up with that definitely became underlying influence in how I have been shaped as a musician and the way I listen to music.

Guided by Bacharach and Folk

－Wakiki: Are there any artists or works that have had a significant influence on your music or on the way you approach music? What is it about them that has influenced you?
June: When I first realized I wanted to start making my own music, I discovered the early Dionne Warwick records that were made with Burt Bacharach and those impacted me a lot. They introduced me to my love for lush recordings and inspired me to try and find a way to do that in my own way.

Dionne Warwick「Walk on By」

Listening to a lot of records from the late 60s American folk period inspired me to start writing songs specifically more underground folk artists like Vashti Bunyan and Judee Sill.