Before Donovan Maes began recording at The Music Company (TMC), most of his songs existed as rough demos recorded on an iPad or phone and rarely developed beyond that stage.
Music had been a part of his life for years. He started violin at four, picked up guitar a few years later, and during the pandemic taught himself more seriously using online resources like YouTube. Songwriting came quickly, and by his early teens he was writing constantly. This work branched into two areas: performing with the Mid-City Community Music teen band Circus of Souls, and building his own original project, killer trees.
Through TMC’s Teen Artist Residency Program, Donovan began using the studio to develop original material, rehearsing with Circus of Souls on Saturdays and recording killer trees on Wednesdays.
Before TMC, recording was, in his words, “pretty unprofessional,” limited to whatever equipment he had available. “I would record things on GarageBand on the iPad that we had or on my phone,” he said. Even basic limitations, like only having Bluetooth headphones, introduced delays that reduced the quality of his recordings.
At TMC, those barriers disappeared. Studio sessions provided access to professional microphones, instruments, monitoring, and engineering support, allowing songs to move beyond demo form. “Now I’m actually able to professionally record everything and do drums and all that,” he said.
Working with TMC audio engineers, Donovan also began learning production techniques. “Beforehand, I didn’t even know what compression really did to a track,” he said. “Being shown those techniques really helps.”
TMC’s role was to elevate his work rather than change it. “They helped just bring my songs to a professional level, sound-wise,” Donovan said. Hearing the finished recordings has been eye-opening. “Just hearing some of the tracks now I think, ‘Wow, these sound really good. I definitely don’t think I would have been able to create any of that on my own.’”
The results have already begun to show. Donovan and killer trees recently won the 2026 Battle of the Bands at Humble Heart in Ocean Beach, a competition that featured 15 bands. One of the judges was longtime San Diego radio personality Tim Pyles, known for championing emerging local artists through programs like Stomping Grounds, which highlights independent bands from San Diego, Orange County, and Tijuana. Following the competition, Pyles has played three of Donovan’s songs on Stomping Grounds, a meaningful milestone for a young independent artist, given the program’s focus on discovering and amplifying new regional talent.
At sixteen, Donovan has already released his first album, ONIONS, with killer trees, while continuing to perform with Circus of Souls and recording material for a second album. killer trees has begun booking paid shows, and other bands are reaching out about sharing bills.
For Donovan, songs that once stayed in voice memos are now moving through a full creative path: written, recorded, released, and performed live. Through TMC’s Teen Artist Residency Program, he has gone from home demos to a finished album, radio airplay, competition wins, and paid performances, all before finishing high school.
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