Ella McDonald (they/she) is a Boston-based musician and songwriter whose thoughtful, intimate lyricism glides from haunting to healing in the same breath. In 2022, Ella suffered a brain injury that left them unable to read, write, or play music for several months. Now, as they heal, Ella is returning to music and offering us their most vulnerable and moving work yet, reminding audiences that hope is a discipline.

Ella’s  latest single “Wedding Song” is at once a lullaby to usher listeners into sweet dreams of a better world and a wake-up call to all of us to fight for that better world. “Her delicate and gorgeous tune represents her yearning for our planet and ourselves to heal” (NJ Arts). Their intimate vocal performance is wistful yet expectant, as they craft a vision of a future where today’s young people have the opportunity to grow old. Fittingly, Ella wrote Wedding Song while traveling the country organizing for climate justice. 

Originally from Northern New Jersey, Ella came of age as a songwriter in the New York City folk scene. As a high schooler, she frequented the stage of storied venue the Bitter End as a member of the NY Songwriters Circle. She studied songwriting at Interlochen Arts Academy in 2017 before earning her B.A. in Music and Sociology from Tufts University. Ella’s 2018 debut album, February, is a lyrical exploration of their growth in friendship, self love, and queerness, and musically melds folk and R&B influences into a cohesive body.