BIOGRAPHY

Warren Dunes is a power trio family band from Seattle, WA, named after a state park in SW Michigan where brothers Jared and Dominic Cortese spent their youth running through the singing sands on the shores of Lake Michigan. Led by keyboardist/vocalist Julia Massey, Warren Dunes’ signature sound is highlighted by Massey’s double keyboards and crystalline voice soaring over chiming guitars and thundering beats. Their unique style of tropicalia-infused Indie rock, often referred to as post-modern beach music, was born from the cold waters and gray sky beaches of the Salish Sea that surrounds the Seattle area. 

A long-time favorite in Seattle, Massey’s newest project has gained national attention after an In Studio performance on KEXP in 2019, and broad airplay for their debut LP Get Well Soon on college radio. In 2024 Warren Dunes performed at notable regional festivals including Treefort Music Fest, Capitol Hill Block Party, and Bumbershoot Music Festival and their most recent LPs Get Well Soon (2021) Aquamarine (2024) were both voted as KEXP listener's top 50 albums. In June 2025, the band co-wrote and released Made Of Love with renowned producer/engineer Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, The Bones of J.R. Jones, Soko) followed by a short run of first time shows in BC and Alberta, Canada in August. Beauty Comes Of Everything is the second single from an album that is in the works for a 2026 release.

History

Julia Massey began writing and recording songs as a student at University of Colorado in Boulder. After graduating, she relocated to Brooklyn, NY for a teaching position and she began writing songs about her experience as a teacher and playing them at open mics and coffee shops. After two years in New York, she headed West with friends in a veggie oil powered camper van, named the Lady Hawk, performing all over the country as part of a documentary called the Break Free Project: Break Free Of Fossil Fuels. The film was never released, but her travels landed her in the thriving folk scene of Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Julia soon began performing in and out of Seattle with her newly minted project Julia Massey & The Five Discount, which included drummer Dom Cortese. Shortly after, Julia started dating Dom’s brother Jared Cortese and they were married in 2012

After a slate of well received records with the Five Finger Discount, extensive touring, and local recognition in Seattle, the band released their final recording Heart Tones in 2017. Warren Dunes started later that year after Julia and Jared were inspired by their two year old son’s love of Calypso Pop legend Harry Belafonte. 

A sense of wonder and inspiration pervades the music Julia, Jared, and Dominic make as Warren Dunes. They are happiest together on stage, moving and flowing as synchronous aspects of a greater whole. That grace and delight comes through in their recorded work, telegraphed transparently to the listener. A cohesive statement, unique yet instantly recognizable, their music slides seamlessly from delicate post-punk explorations to anthemic, sing-along pop built on a foundation of arena-worthy choruses. Self-assured yet free of bombast, Warren Dunes is an art-pop dreamscape of unapologetic fun.

Julia, Jared, and Dom believe in showing up for their community and have raised money for homelessness, fighting the policies of evil wannabe dictators, and most recently are raising money for childcare grants for parent musicians in Seattle through their foundation The Many Hands Project - Seattle.