How Neil Young shaped Mac DeMarco’s early sound
Mac DeMarco’s hazy take on slacker rock totally redefined the sound of the 2010s. Becoming one of the most influential indie artists of the era, DeMarco soundtracked a million nights spent scrolling on Tumblr, tearing up skate parks, or days bunking off school with friends. But the iconic album that inspired him is far more sincere than expected.
In 2012, DeMarco was simply another musician trying to make it happen. In his native Canada, after the release of a mini-LP Rock And Roll Nightclub caught label attention, the musician was working towards his debut album, 2. A period that all musicians know well when the funds aren’t coming in as the music is only just getting going, DeMarco told The Guardian, “I was living in Montreal, broke as fuck, with not much music on my computer and no internet.”
But he had to find inspiration somewhere. The musician got thrifty when it came to finding musical references and new influences, adding that he would “go to the dollar bin in the thrift store and dig through all these weird old French Quebecois singers”.
Once he found a new album he liked, it would be played on repeat. “If I did find a cool record,” he said, continuing, “It got played to death in my house because I had nothing else to listen to.” Self-identifying as an “obsessive listener”, he’d get hooked on one single album.
One such album was the iconic 1972 folk rock album Harvest by Neil Young. The record is one of the most influential releases in history, featuring hits like ‘Heart Of Gold’ and ‘Old Man’. Featuring vocals from David Crosby, Graham Nash, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, amongst others, the LP is a who’s who of the 1960s and ‘70s folk scene.
The crisp and clean sound of the record hugely inspired DeMarco despite working in very different genres and not immediately being two artists necessarily linked. “This record I used to listen to several times a day for months and months,” he said. “It was around the time I recorded 2 and I wanted to make my album sound exactly like this: really dry, really crisp 70s style.”
Listening back to 2, you can hear Neil Young’s fingerprints, especially on tracks like ‘Dreaming’, ‘Robson Girl’ and ‘Still Together’. Delivering a cleaner and more natural guitar sound than on his earlier mini-LPs or singles, 2 carved out DeMarco’s own unique sound and space in the 2010s indie scene.
A record that means a lot to the artist, DeMarco adds one last statement of praise for Harvest; “I’ve listened to that album so many times but I never get tired of it.”
