THE ARTIST
DANA MCCOY
Award-winning songwriter, composer, performer, and musical storyteller
Dana McCoy’s whose work spans indie pop, theater, film, and adventure-driven soundscapes. Equally at home writing intimate acoustic songs, cinematic scores, and full-scale rock musicals, she creates music that serves the story first—wherever that story leads.
Based between New York City and Cape Cod, Dana has spent a lifetime following songs wherever they wanted to go. She began writing music and plays at the age of ten, inspired by a musical family, an old upright piano rescued by her mother, and later a well-traveled baritone ukulele that became her constant companion. She studied ballet at the North Carolina School of the Arts, musical theater at the Boston Conservatory, and music at Berklee College of Music, where she received both a Berklee Grant and the Cleo Laine Award. Additional training with Actors Studio director Marcia Haufrecht and renowned vocal coach Katie Agresta helped shape her distinctive voice as both a performer and storyteller.
Songs That Found Their Audience
Throughout her career, Dana has released acclaimed solo work while building an impressive résumé as a songwriter and composer. Her music has appeared on the Billboard U.S. Club Charts and European pop charts multiple times through collaborations including Inner City, Degrees of Motion, Mariposa, and Donna Summer. Her debut album, 88Butterfly: Taking Shape, was selected by Billboard editors as one of the year's Top 10 Albums, and she has released music through labels including EMI, Columbia, Arista, Esquire, and Featherweight Records.
Appearances on Stage and Screen
Dana’s songs have appeared in feature films including City of Industry and Boy Meets Girl, while her score for Marcia Haufrecht's short film 3 Muses earned Best Original Music honors at film festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and Boston. Her musical LILY the TIGER received Best Musical and Best Song at the United Solo Theatre Festival, the world's largest solo theater festival.
As a performer, Dana has played everywhere from CBGB to Lincoln Center, collaborated with members of Blue Öyster Cult, Alice Cooper's original band, and the Psychedelic Furs' extended musical family, and continues to tour in intimate listening rooms and concert venues while preparing for performances in Europe and Japan.
LILY the TIGER, an Everyday Superhero
The main character in McCoy’s musical, Lily the Tiger, learns that the bravest act isn't saving the world—it's learning to say no. The companion album features an extraordinary group of collaborators, including Albert Bouchard (Blue Öyster Cult), producer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Fornatale, bassist Alec Morton, producer and musician Rikki Bates, and violinist Rose Clancy. The project has also sparked Dana's newest creative partnership, BLUSH!, an acoustic indie-pop duo with Bates that is already developing its debut album while performing original music inspired by the spirit of LILY the TIGER.
Joy is an Act of Courage
At the heart of everything Dana creates is a simple mission: uplift. Whether she's writing a three-minute pop song, composing for film, or building a full theatrical world, she believes music should invite people in, leave them humming long after the final note, and remind them that joy is an act of courage.