a talk with mac demarco [video]

Who remembers Vine? I found his music on Vine. There was like this artsy edit of I don't know, like an anime movie, and there was a song in the background. I was like, Wait, what is that? And I looked in the comments and it was like, Freaking out the neighborhood by Mac DeMarco.

And I was like, Who's Mac DeMarco? and I was obsessed? And I've been such a big fan of him ever since. So getting to speak with him today is honestly I'm going to shit myself, but I'm so excited. I think what's so special about Mac's music is the way it always sounds like him.

When you hear a Mac Demarco song, you're like, that's a Mac Demarco song. Whether it's kind of funky, or it's more deep and sentimental, or it's just an instrumental that rhymed. It always feels like him, he really just has his own sort of sound. His last two albums have been so intriguing to me because.

They're super stripped down and they're super casual in a lot of ways. His last album, having almost 200 songs and being like nine hours long, he's going the complete opposite direction of the industry. And I must know more. So I present to you, crumpling up my script, Mac Demarco. I'm so excited to talk to you.

It's so weird because Coachella is the last place I would expect to see you.

I didn't even get up with anybody, I just went and chilled.

And it was no problem.

I would say more than other festivals.

My feet hurt, I got blisters, my legs hurt. I think as a testament, this year, not so bad, okay?

I think maybe I'm a little bit more fit than last year, just a little bit. Okay, not bad.

I'd keep in mind the configuration of the band that I had at the time. Because if I put an extra guitar line, or if I put an extra synthesizer. I was like, how are we going to do this? But that was at a point where it was like, we toured so much that if I had a month or two off in between tours. I was like, I have to make the album now, or else I'm never going to be able to make it. I think it was very ingrained in that. Nowadays I don't think about it at all.

But I'm in a situation now where we're going on tour in July. And it's kind of like, I'm listening to this record that we're going to perform. And I'm kind of like, there's four claves on a song. I'm like, I don't know how I'm going to do this, we'll figure it out. This kid, Darryl, that plays with me right now, this kid, he's a bass player, he plays with me. He was saying the other day that he feels like my music is kind of zen in a way, or balanced.

It is where it's like, there's the drums, you got the vocal, two guitars. There's usually like a set number, it's like a set dinner or something. So I think I used to, kind of, it's hard for me to break out of that.

I like evenness and I like simplicity, you know what I mean, yes, but there's something I like, too, about maybe unperformable music.

I was just on a road trip home, it was like four hours. I mean, I crushed half of it. The way that you're releasing music right now is so intriguing to me and it's so refreshing. I mean, number one, all the titles are like, they're just file names.

He put an album out called Twelve, I think at the turn of this year, maybe, or late last year. I can't remember exactly when it came out. But it was just 12 songs. And the date that he recorded them on which I was like, Wow, and I kind of started. I had done that date coding thing for my recordings already. But doing it in the exact way he did, it's kind of like a little, you know?

It's almost not, you know, it's a mixed bag. For example, the songs that are finished, they sit there on my hard drive or on the computer, and they go put me on the next album. Totally remember me, I'm a pretty good little song.

Remember me? And, you know, it drives you crazy. Because then I try and record them again and it doesn't ever feel the same way as the original version. And, you know, but they're good songs and I want people to hear them, but there's not really a way of presenting them. And it's interesting, I think that the way that the music industry is kind of structured right now, it's, yeah, it's very. I think that's what people find refreshing.

It's like, why is he doing this? It doesn't make any sense, how's he going to make the money? What's going on? Totally.

Which is like, I didn't really, you know, I don't really care either way, like, I'm just glad people listen to them. But it's not, you know, if it makes people kind of question the way that they ingest my art, or art in general. Like, that's great, you know, maybe, or maybe it's not. I don't really know. But I'm happy they're out there and kids seem to be enjoying them, the kids are loving them. Yeah, it's cool.

We burn all the money, we got to burn all the money. Can we just burn all the money? You got to burn it all up? Because if nobody's making it and you can't, there's no opportunity to make it.

Sometimes it's like, more about butt cheeks or whatever else is going on there.

Even if the label, or, you know, I think the people that were working with me on it were like, This is a good idea, you know? But it's nice to just kiss it goodbye. And now I can walk forward, I can walk forward in peace.

Unburdened and make my next. I got a new idea for another album, it's going to be good. Yes, yes, yes.

It's great, I love going out, I love playing shows, I love meeting kids that are into my music. The whole thing is incredible.

Before, a lot of it was went kind of hand in hand with. Like, you know, I drank a lot, you know, there was a lot of insanity that went on out there. And like, you know. So coming back after Covid and going out and trying to reconfigure it or something has been fun, different, but nice. And there was, you know, last year I canceled a lot of shows that we had planned. And just, basically, you know, I mean, basically. I looked at it all and I was like, this is it started, that. That looked like how it was before. And I was like, I don't think that I can't, I can't do it.

Yeah, I had nothing to promote, there was nothing. you know, I would have gone crazy. Yeah, you know, it would have been bad.

So I think, um, we did it, we did a little bit. We did this tour of Central California and like, you're from the bay, right? Yeah, so we did, you know Big Sur and you know Petaluma and all these places around. Yeah, it was nice.

And I did it on this motorcycle, it was amazing. Yeah, kind of like a vacation, you know? But I think I said some stuff on stage during the August run, which have made a lot of kids online think that I have retired. I know I saw that.

Yeah, yeah, which is like, No, I haven't, but perhaps, and I thought of this only this morning, perhaps I've retired from the way things used to be, perhaps well, and that's healthy.

Maybe.

You know what I mean, you were partying, you were doing the thing when you were on tour. You can't keep that up forever.

Still, you know, but I'm, I'm getting there, we're getting there, we're getting there. But I think, um, no, it's unhealthy, I do.

I love it, though. There's a thing a lot. I meet a lot of younger musicians now, and they and they hate touring, they don't want to do it. Or it's tough and it's hard, and yeah, it's tough and it's hard. But I think what people forget is that going on tour for me, going on tour when I was young, you know, we started, I started when I was like 17 or 18 or whatever.

And it's like you get to go in a car with your best friends and it's an adventure. It's a rock and roll adventure. And you're getting. I mean, there was a lot of time we didn't get paid to do it, but you eventually you'll get paid to do it and keep doing it. And it's like, Uh, it's like the the greatest gift.

It's incredible, you know, and it's like there is a lot of, you know, I was talking about it even yesterday with some friends. That DJ. It's kind of like, you know, the lifestyle is crazy, but you know, you don't have to lean into the lifestyles. I don't know, I'm fine to go to the bar and not, you know, just drink bitters and sodas all night.

That's fine, I don't have to be hammered all the time.

You're a professional, I'm a professional and I'm an anxious girl. I mean, when I would drink a lot, like when I was drinking a lot more, you would get the fear. I mean, I'd wake up with the fear. Do you wake up with the fear?

Didn't meet her, I've met her before, she was on TikTok, she was in there, but anyway, we woke up there and we had a couple other friends there.

And, uh, we walked down to the beach or no, before we walked to the beach, I walked to the seven 11.

I bought a toothbrush and some toothpaste stick of you went back, we walked down, had a little cafe down by the water and we got in the water. And that feeling, cause it's like, I'm not, you know, I was maybe like 15 miles away from my house, like, not, I'm not out and about. But uh, but there is that feeling of waking up and you could wearing the same clothes and, uh, you got to go get the toothbrush.

I love that, like, I love that. And even at Coachella, me and Kira slept in my car, like on the back, you know, in like this bed that I had in the back for one of the nights. And you wake up and it's like, Wow, I feel like shit and I'm sweaty. And this is disgusting. But there's something that, like, Uh, that little adventure, it's that little sprinkle, I love it. You feel free.

Exactly, it's the freedom thing, and that, you know, it's, yeah, that exact that, even with the we were talking about the substances and stuff, that's a freedom thing, too. It's like, Um, I don't want to be beholden to anything, totally.

So I'm not well, I feel like you.

And now it's like, Well, I can go on Amazon, get exactly what I need and it's going to show up tomorrow. Up until maybe a couple of years ago, I was very like, I will, you know, I. I was one of the people that, like, even refused ordering food on the internet. It was like, I need to call, I need to talk to the guy at the pizza shop on the phone, I needed to. You know, it was a whole thing, so.

You just strike me as balanced, I would say, cause that's really healthy. I think I am like, very, it's a lot of this or a lot of this, you know what I mean? So it's like, Uh, yeah, I need. I'm extreme, extreme, but maybe extremely balanced.

I think that's what it is like, the freedom thing we were talking about. Yeah, it's like I would like to feel that freedom, but I'd like to feel a lot of it.

It is hard, but it's so worth it because this feeling of freedom that you get it is. It's unmatched. And I feel like it's actually what makes traveling enjoyable. When you're lugging around three, you know, suitcases, it's too much.

You don't feel free too much.

Wait, what?

Fletcher called me up. He's a drummer in the garden, he has these mopeds, yeah, and he was like, you should come ride some mopeds one day.

And I did, and I really enjoyed it, and so I got one and then, uh, you know, I got into that a little bit and then, you know. You reach a ceiling with the size of the engine and the power, and you want a bigger one, you go bigger. And then, you know, now I have four and I rode one here today.

It was great, yeah, it was nice. Yeah, oh yeah.

Oh yeah, that's fucking cool, that's great, it's great.

Are you into?

It's like, you know, when the beach becomes a little too butt cheeks like Coachella. Maybe I'm kind of like, eh? I'd like, I'd like a little some rocks, maybe some moss. Maybe you see some kind of critters down in the uh, you know, the little, uh, the tide pool or something like that. I like that, I like, um, like, say, go up to, uh, maybe, uh, you know, Big sur, or like, uh, Mendocino or something like that. Where it's kind of like, maybe even a little too trench to swim sometimes, you know, but I love that.

I think, um, I love the lake, I love the river. I think the river maybe is the most beautiful style of water to me. It just never stops moving and it's calm, but it's calm, though.

Yeah, well, yeah, it's nice. Depending on the river, you know, you got the wild rivers, you got the chill rivers. Even, uh, living in L.A. with all the rain, it's been kind of nice. But I think that usually the desert kind of, uh, the arid, uh, sparse and not tall and not thick vegetation usually kind of freaks me out. But uh. But I've grown to love it in a way, and it's been extra green recently. But I like a big tree and I like a lot of big trees together and a forest configuration.

And I like, uh, yeah, the red, you know, Redwood for, you know, grew up near the Rocky Mountains in Canada. So you get the, uh, the thickness, the thickness. It's good. Um, yeah, yeah, yeah, but dry climate, I'll take it.

I'll take a dry climate, we like a dry climate, I don't like that humidity. No, I'll deal with it.

I don't like it that much.

Yeah, well, I mean.

It's like, Oh well, this person I haven't seen in like 15 years of this. What they had for breakfast, like, that's interesting, and you know, you catch yourself and you're kind of like, I don't. This person is like, it's an illusion that they're in my life still, like, it's just not real like.

I barely knew this person back then and now I don't know them at all. And here it is, you know, in that way. I just wanted to, like, kind of declutter my, uh, my life like that. But it's difficult because it's really, really addictive, you know, it's really, really bad.

It's crazy because I got rid of it and I had I, you know, I had like a million followers or something. So a lot of time, I guess. And it's like, Uh, it's weird. Because I was able to do it and people like, Whoa, like, you know, great. And I was just kind of like, I just don't want it. But what I kept seeing was friends that, you know, are musicians too. Or maybe, you know, maybe on a smaller scale than me or something. They'd be like, Well, I wish I could.

And I'm kind of like, Well, why don't you? And they're like, Well, it's like, you know, it's my livelihood, it's how I tell people about my stuff, it's how I share. And I would I never really used it for that.

So that's so terrifying because it's it's these people, you have this thing, it's connected to your employment, or your job, or whatever, your output or whatever. And then. But it's it's like designed like a VLT like video lottery machine. And it's like they addict you to it and then they kind of handcuff you to it. It's like, Well, you can't get rid of me because how are you going to pay your rent this month?

It's like, so crazy, it's so crazy. So I think that it's just healthy, you know, maybe maybe me getting rid of it, you know, made some people, you know, question it in a way which will be a good outcome or maybe not. I don't know, whatever, but I mean, it made me question it.

It's just a crazy thing, you know, it's a crazy thing. And it is like, how much do you share? How? How present do you want to be in your everyday life? I don't know.

Here's the thing like my, my generation of people, too. Cause, well, I'm, I'm quite a bit old, but what, how old are you now? 21? Yeah, so I'm like more than 10 years old.

I'm like a grandpa, you know what I mean, but it's like for my generation. Like, there was a period I remember when, you know, there was dial up internet, and when there was no Instagram. There was, I remember, before Facebook, I remember before MySpace. You know what I mean, it's like? And I've always been a little techie kid. I used to write computer code when I was a kid. And you know, we had the crazy slow, you know, Windows 95 or whatever. But watching it kind of come in and watching the way that people interface with it.

And I think the way that there used to be a whole thing where it was kind of like, you don't put your, your, your, your, your. You know your real name, you never use a real name, you don't use an alias, you use an avatar or whatever and like. That was kind of how it was. And and then there was a shift at some point where it was like, No, no, no, no. Put as much personal information as you possibly can on there, which is like, what the fuck is going on?

I don't know if I can use the f bar. You can use every cuss word okay, great, be free, but yeah, it's alarming and it's weird.

And I think it's, you know, at the same time like it probably had a lot to do with, you know, me, being a musician that people listen to now. Which is, you know, so I can't knock it completely. But, uh, I can, um, at least, uh, inspect my relationship with it. I think so, 100. Do you like living in L.A. I love living in L.A.

Really, I do, yeah, it is, uh, been about six, six or seven years now.

I feel like as much as you learn about it, you think you know about L.A. it always has another, I don't know. There's another layer. It's a weird city and it's like, Uh, we'll, we'll. Take the desert, for example, it's like, what L.A. is is they irrigated a desert, right?

So it's kind of like, Uh, it shouldn't really be here, and it's kind of like, it's like a ghost. Yes, there's like a ghost of the desert, and it's weird. If you go down to, like, the Gold District downtown, I have a studio that I'm working in in Macarthur Park now.

And there's all these old theaters in a lot of parts of L.A. cause they built so many of them back in the day. But a lot of these neighborhoods have kind of got a little rundown, these places are closed now. Years ago, Kira and I were walking in to get, you know, Gold District, I don't know.

You go and there's all the little booths and everybody's selling cheap, you know, gold necklaces or whatever. But if you walk all the way to the back in these theaters, you can look up and there's. They still have the old ceiling, you know where it's hand painted ceilings, and there's many places like this in L.A. But I feel like it's kind of a good. Uh, it's almost like it's like that, that is, L.A. you know what? I mean? It's like, Well, there's this weirdness. But you know, it used to be so-and-so. Or, you know, it's kind of like, I don't know, meeting people that are from here that know something.

It's like the secrets of.

We, uh, I moved down to New York in 2013. Maybe we were living in Montreal before that, and I'd lived in Vancouver for a little while before that. And then from a place called Edmonton, Alberta.

Yeah, um, yeah, definitely cold, but uh, but yeah. We lived in New York for several years, it was kind of accidental to move there. And but that's where most of the people at the time I worked with, my manager and booking agent were there, and the record label that had signed me were there.

And it was very exciting. Um, and then eventually, you know, I had been doing music for a while and I had a little bit of money. And I was like, I think, you know, coming from kind of, you know, lower middle-class, suburban, Canadian, Canadia or Canada, or whatever. It's like, Uh, what do you do when you get a little bit of money? Like, I was confused, you know, I have that kind of like, um, for lack of better term, like poor person mentality.

Where it's like, this is going to go away, like, what do I do? You don't like your scarcity, you don't know how exactly. So I was like, I got to buy a house.

And then I'm trying to buy a house in New York. No, not going down, not a lot of options, it's too expensive. So we came over here and looked, and now we've lived here ever since, but now it's, it's pretty much impossible to buy a house over here.

So what are you going to do? But, um, well, yeah, I do, I like, I like it, I like it over here. Some of it. I was talking to some friends the other day. Just the West Coast.

In general, there's something that is I like the East Coast, but it gives me this, you know? And I think it's the same for other people and I think some people thrive off of it. But it's like, uh, you live in a constant state of, um, it's like a, it's like a mild anxiety. Or like, oh, God, like, how am I going to? I got to get another job? how am I going to pay the rent? Like, oh, my God. And it's intense.

And there's all these people on the street and everyone's screaming at each other and everybody's crazy. And it's like, that's cool, but for me, it's like, I just feel, um, more zen, yeah, more like at home.

It reminds me more of where I grew up. I think, you know, houses and yards, and it's dry, and I don't know. That's, uh, that's nice. Yeah, it's interesting.

Yeah, I feel like.

But here's the thing, though.

One of these Ian Curtis documentaries where, you know, he kind of, I guess, a sellout means like, selling out the show, that's what, that's what a lot of young people, I've never thought of it like that. No, I mean, I think that's that would be how it kind of is now. Where I think some kids would think, you know, sell, you know, they'd be like, Well, that's a good thing. And I think, you know, there's not the the the weight to it anymore. Back in the day. I mean, not for me even, but for, you know, I think of the artists that I look up to from the Nineties or the eighties or whatever. You know, it's like, Yeah, there's things that you just don't want to do.

But now it's I feel like I don't know. The more you can, the more numbers, the more this, the more that. Yeah, I like DIY, it makes me feel fulfilled, but I think it might just be, you know, not even by my own design.

Like, I might just not play well with others, you know, which is fair enough, but it is. I've seen the industry change in a way over the past couple of years. Where especially, like, you know, I guess people would, you know, consider me an independent artist or indie artist or whatever. That term doesn't really make any sense anymore either. You know, indie artists are getting like multimillion dollar record contracts with, like, you know, these big indie label. It doesn't.

Yeah, it doesn't.

You just want to keep it safe? Yeah, well, I just want to keep it like, I want to keep it me, I think. Which is like, in the world we're living in right now. Where AI can write your lyrics for you, they can write your music for you, you know. Or you can get a pop song written by like, 15 people in some weird studio. It's like, that's great.

And if you want to make money, go ahead and make money. And like, go. And do you know you can go to university to learn how to write pop songs? Now, that's fine, or to be in the industry or whatever. Like, if you want to do that and you want to make money doing it, whatever, you know, good luck. You know, you go and do it and you're going to have trouble once. I burn all the money. But I think this world we're living in. It's like the most invaluable thing now is like, the person making the music or the, you know, it's like, that's like, so that to me, it doesn't matter what it sounds like, even anymore.

It's like, if the intention is right and like, the person is injecting themselves into it like that, then I would love to listen to it. You know, if it's real enough, and I hope that, you know, I can, I can achieve that. I think maybe that's part of, maybe why people, you know, come to my music sometimes, but.

I can only do me, and I think it's never been very difficult for me to do me. Because I'm me totally. Even when I try and emulate something, I'm never, I never quite get there totally.

And then you end up with something which is just your own. I guess, you know, but it's, I don't know. I've been in a couple situations over the last couple of years where you collaborate with someone and it's like, it's, you know, it's cool. I'm down to try it out. I'm not very good at it. It kind of makes me feel uncomfortable and some instances where it's kind of like, Ah, you kind of just wanted my Spotify followers.

Totally, but it's, you know, there's instances like that and I'm not throwing any shade or anything. But it's like, I understand people trying to. Everybody wants to elevate and link and build and do this and that and the other thing. And it's like, that's fine, I don't know. It's just like, uh, when I find something that is like, very like, um, like, fulfills your soul artistically.

Now it's just like, Oh my God, protect this thing. Yes, this is great, you know, because it is, you see it more and more nowadays, and it's happened to me before. You know, you, you do something that grabs people's attention, and or you, you know, the numbers go one way or another. You make money off something. There's people that come around kind of being like, Hey, kid, like, I like what you're doing over there.

And it's kind of like, Yeah, you know, but I think, you know, for the most part. Over my career, it's like, I've wanted to, you know, retain what I have and and, uh, keep it small. And even with this label that we're doing now, I like, it's like a village, you know? It's like. I have these artists that I'm working with and my friends and I believe in their music. And if they want to come over and record in my studio, they can. If they need help mixing, no problem, like, I'd like to help as much, to share their stuff, but it's, you know, that's not the trying to make money off.

I, you know, that doesn't really come into the thing. Obviously you need money to like make vinyls or whatever, help people out or whatever. But it's like, I think, um, I just wanted to feel like a village. I was thinking about this earlier today as I was sweeping my bricks in the backyard before I came over here, and it's like, everybody's here.

We're doing these creative things, we feel comfortable together. It's like a ranch and we're. This is sound a little culty all of a sudden. But uh, no, see, I know what you mean, something like that, you know? It's kind of like, look at this.

We're able to survive and dwell and make beautiful things. And like, that's for me. That's all I want to do is just make the things that I want to make. And I'm getting pretty close to, like, having this kind of self-sustaining, you know, uh, I guess. Financial situation where it doesn't really matter how anything I make is received, I can just make the stuff that I want to make. And that one way and G thing is exactly that.

It's kind of like people were like, Where have you been for the last five years? It's like, Well, I just been doing this and it felt good.

How have you navigated? Sort of being in the public eye and like, maintaining your friendships? You've had a long-term relationship, yeah, how have you kept it together? I mean, you've been doing it for?

Nobody, you know, I think. Also it's the it's the demeanor that I've always carried to where it's kind of like, you know, people have this predisposed. Like, I can go say, what's up to Mac? And it's like, Yes, you can. It's like you're not bothering me, like, it's totally cool.

Like, I appreciate it, you know, I don't know. I'm lucky in a lot of ways. It's like, I just think I've never been famous enough to, like, not go to the grocery store.

Like, that's crazy, you know what I mean, but I mean, some people are. But I think I've just always been in this sweet spot. I don't know.

That's a great place to be, it's cool. I think a lot of people get lost in the sauce and want to do the fancy thing. And this that, you know, it's tough, you know, it's tough. Sometimes you feel pretty isolated, you know? Making new friends can be difficult, or making, uh, or even keeping in touch with old friends.

I move around a lot, but I've always had a very I see you when I see it.

Shockingly, it's tough, you know what, I?

Cause I feel like you go and you do that stuff and then you're like.

That is like crazy, but maybe it is just getting older. But, you know, since I've been in my thirties, it's kind of like, I, you know. As opposed to going to the fancy party or, you know, whatever the event or the celebs. I'd rather just go to. Like, kind of like a dimly lit restaurant that they'll let you hang out in for like three hours.

I was like, Okay, so with me and him and my other friend Dan, we got on the bikes, we drove out to Dantana. We're going to have a nice dinner, a nice Italian dinner, and we get there and we parked the bikes and we're going in. And I go to open the door, and as I opened the door, there's some people coming out. And there was these two women, and like a shorter man with huge, hard looking hair.

And he looks right up at me, He's like, Oh, okay, all right, all right. Al Pacino.

It was Al Pacino and I was like, Oh my God, and I just kind of froze and he came out and all these guys were like, Mr. Pacino, Mr.

Pacino and the women were like, you're being too rough with him, but he like, You know, he, uh, he took photos of everybody. It was cool, but it was just like.

I bet Joe Pesci still goes there, Robert De Niro probably still goes there. Incredible, I love it, I love it.

I'm going to go.

It's good, it's.

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