Amidst his fourth world tour, currently in his hometown New York, everyone’s favourite guitar pop mate Mac DeMarco has phoned in to talk to us about record labels, production and a plethora of exciting things including his visit back to Australia ove the 2015/16 period.
Mac DeMarco is currently signed to the iconic independent New York based label Captured Tracks and as of yet has released three full length albums through them with his newest endeavour, a mini LP titled Another One, which came out August 7th.
His relationships with Captured Tracks grew quite organically “they approached me a couple of years ago when I put out a couple of songs on Bandcamp for Rock and Roll Nightclub and yeah, it was cool and exciting and crazy when it happened and they have helped me a lot along the way. I’ve learned a lot of stuff [from them] and luckily I came in with these people who weren’t complete assholes and they treated me well and it’s been a good relationship.
“Especially for small people starting out signing to, like you know a record label like that or whatever can really help out a lot. Especially now there a lot of bands or big bands who were actors ten years ago or whatever and now a lot of those people have started their own labels and it’s more of like ‘Yo I was in a band I’m not trying to rob you I’m just tryna’ help you out, I like your music’ but a lot of people out there just generally wanna help or like good music, I think it can help you know.”
Another One – Mac’s fourth LP released on Captured Tracks over the course of three years is just another milestone in fairly short yet fruitful career, an impressive output considering he only recorded his first song when he was 18 as he explains “I mean yeah the first song I wrote that wasn’t like a joke song or like some weird thing I remember the first thing I did by myself I was 18 it was a song called ‘My Mind’ or something and I did it in my garage and recorded it and put it to this tape player and put it on my computer and I was like ‘Whoa this sounds pretty cool’ ”.
Ever since that first song Mac has been using tapes up until his recent instrumental project SOME OTHER ONES “I actually put up a little nine song instrumental album the other day on Bandcamp and I actually did that totally on the computer for the first time.”
“It sounds cool, it definitely sounds like a little different but I mean it’s funny because I pretty much use the computer as a tape machine because I don’t really know how tu use the programs so I’m really using it for that ‘sort of sound that fits?’ All the levels channels but all the effects thats all sort of still board gear. Yeah it’s kind of crazy, wow I don’t have to worry about tape hiss and I was like what the fuck what do I do?” Mac’s favourite effect being, “Delay but I mean sometimes you can actually add a little modulation to a delay like I have a couple that you can kind of add a chorus effect or a detuning effect. I think that detuned delay, I really like that one.”
Mac’s lyrics in Another One take a very similar journey to his previous albums featuring loving and adoring odes to his dream girl (his current girlfriend Kiera Mcnally or as Mac likes to call her, Kiki). Mac’s poetry takes everyday life and relationships and really gives it shine in his pop-rock fusion style music. Mac’s poetry inspiration comes from experience as he says “I’m not a big reader, like I never really read poetry”.
Conceived and recorded entirely by himself in a short period between a relentless tour schedule at his new place in Far Rockaway, Queens, Another One is eight, freshly written songs. Though similar in concept to previous releases, Another One sees DeMarco implement the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ ideology, and it’s working – the album though more of a side to his two full-length albums – is just the perfect teaser to tie Aussie audiences over until he’s back on our shores for Falls fest 2015/16.
Another One is out via Spunk locally stream/ buy here.
Falls Festival 2015/16
Lorne, VIC // 28 December, 2015 – 1 January, 2016
Marion Bay, TAS // 29 December, 2015 – 1 January, 2016
Byron Bay, NSW // 31 December, 2015 – 3 January, 2016
Southbound // Sir Steward Bovell Park, Busselton WA // 8 – 10 January, 20
Tickets and info at www.fallsfestival.com.au
