Mac DeMarco: “I was pretending to be something that I wasn’t”
Four years on from the release of his fourth studio album, Here Comes the Cowboy, in 2019, Mac DeMarco returned to releasing with a bang earlier this year.
The Canadian began 2023 with a collection of instrumental songs titled Five Easy Hot Dogs, an album recorded on a road trip of the United States. In April, he followed this up with the surprise release of One Wayne G, a compilation album with a runtime of over eight hours.
The singer-songwriter also made a return to live music. July saw him embark upon a run of shows across Los Angeles, New York, Paris and London, playing multiple nights in each city.
Now, DeMarco has spoken candidly about his changing sound in an interview with NME, stating: “I mean, with these last couple of releases I’ve probably freed myself in most regards. I almost feel like there was a long time where I was pretending to be something that I wasn’t and trying to do things musically that maybe… I feel like all the records I’ve put out are very much me, but in regards to the more ambient or video gamey-sounding stuff, I love it.”
He continued: “I’m a nerd. I like anime, always have, for years. I pretended not to because it wasn’t cool. Now, it’s cool. So I’m just gonna be me even more than I was before.”
DeMarco concluded by explaining his current process for making music, sharing, “There are stipulations I have now for making my music where it needs to feel natural. I don’t want to force anything. I like leaving things the way they are. Something comes out, that’s the way it came out. That’s the way it is.”
In the interview, DeMarco continues to discuss his new records, quitting smoking, and plans to record his next album on a motorcycle trip.
Listen to One Wayne G below.
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