Daniel McLaughlin likes to stay versatile. Taking up guitar at the age of 11, Daniel’s infatuation with music was unwavering in all aspects.

Taking a special interest in tone and recording, Daniel had a home studio running in his childhood home—recording himself and local bands.

He moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19 to pursue a degree in Studio/Jazz Guitar from the esteemed Thornton School of Music, where he was able to study under the tutelage of guitar greats, such as Frank Potenza, Pat Kelley, Bruce Forman, Nick Stoubis, Richard Smith, Steve Trovato, and Tim Kobza.

Performance and gigging were prominent during his undergraduate years, backing singer-songwriter acts and freelance gigs around campus and around town. Daniel received several awards for his work during his undergraduate degree, and was exemplary enough to earn him the opportunity to pursue a Master’s degree with a teaching assistant position.

In 2020, Daniel expanded his online presence with outlets on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, while also releasing lofi music under the alias “Spaniel Mac”. Years later, his music receives over 2.5m streams per month across a portfolio of artist aliases on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube. Spaniel Mac has been featured on substantial playlists by Lofi Girl, Chill Beats, Lofi Jazz, and several Apple Music and Spotify editorial playlists. Spaniel Mac’s top streaming song has even been featured in the popular video game “Fortnite”.

Currently, Daniel maintains some work as a freelance musician, performing recently with Jaden Smith on his Grammy Museum performance of Cabin Fever. Daniel additionally has worked in a consultation or demonstration role with brands like Fender Guitars (Fender Play), RockStock Pedals, Ultimate Ears, and Apogee Electronics. Daniel also works full-time as a producer with Pickup Music, creating courses that reach hundreds of thousands of people per day.