#8 Read-Watch-Listen
Read
I’ve been trying not to turn into my father
by Kathryn Bromwich, The Guardian
A few years ago my friend Charlie got to see Mac Demarco at Rough Trade just off of Brick Lane in London. I was supposed to go and for the life of me I can’t remember why I couldn’t. I haven’t been that sad to miss a show since I missed seeing The Distillers in Toronto in 2014. She told me about the show and it was exactly as described in the article and similar to the Watch for this week.
This interview isn’t great in comparison to others I’ve watched and I think Mac comes off better on screen than in text. But I think what’s good about this interview is that he gets across that these interviews can be bullshit, while still coming off as likeable. The interview also makes clear that Mac just gets it. All this other bullshit, is bullshit. Don’t make yourself an idol, you’re not better than other people. Stay present, stay away from fads, if someone is in front of you pay attention to that, don’t talk to them through your phone - the basics really. At the same time, it’s clear that he understands the times and the culture of the internet and is wholly part of that culture - people who make music videos as a lizard-cowboy are obviously in on the joke,“it’s the wild west. People read into things too much – it’s all horseshit and I like to treat it that way and have fun with it.”
I do like the title of this article though. I think everyone has complicated relationships with their parents. And if you listen, the majority of songs on Mac’s third album This Old Dog they’re mostly about his dad. I think this is what’s great about Mac. In the watch this week, George also asks him about his dad and he just says that it’s not about vilifying the guy, writing the album was just a part of figuring out what the relationship should look like and what it means. The thing that is relatively ordinary about him (figuring out a complicated relationship with his father), turns into something - an album - that is beautiful.
Watch
Mac Demarco | House of Strombo
By George Stroumboulopoulos
This video fills my little Canadian heart so full.
I’m a pretty big fan of these sessions at George’s house. If you don’t know who George Stroumboulopoulos is, you’re probably not Canadian. He was a VJ (if you are too young/old, this means Video Jockey) on Much Music for many years and went on to do many more shows, a self-titled The Strombo Show, The Hour and also a stint on Hockey Night in Canada and CNN. I love the way that George interviews - I frequently watched the show and even went to a live taping (got to see Jake Gyllenhaal - awesome). I don’t know if that is because there aren’t many good interviewers out there or that he is one of the few who puts Canadians in the spotlight. He makes people see that there are amazing ambitious and talented Canadians. He’s also good at research - something Canadian interviewers are known as being good at - and comes off that he really cares and is genuinely interested in the responses he gets. He is good at digging into questions and trying to bring things to light. But it’s done in a way that you don’t hate him for doing it, he isn’t drilling down for gossip - he is genuinely interested in how a story or person influenced the artist to create something so beautiful, so good.
Mac knows how to hang out with a crowd. He knows he has to entertain but really, the point for him and for the band (and the audience really) is to become just one big party. Not all performances are equal at the House of Strombo. I think this comes across in Mac’s ability to ad lib and just riff of not only vocally in his songs but talking to George and the audience.
Just kick back and enjoy watching someone just doing something they absolutely love doing. If you don’t watch to the end, you won’t understand the subtitle of this week’s newsletter!
How mac write an album Mac Demarco in Dawson City
Listen
Let Her Go
by Mac Demarco
If you’re going to listen to this song you may as well go ahead and listen to the whole album. It’s a wonderfully weird mix of psychedelic yacht indie rock.
This entire album reminds me of hanging out in Toronto with my good friends Emily, Alyssa, and Eric. I can’t remember how I’d heard of it but all I remember is that this album was being played across Toronto parks in summer of 2014. And I hope the listen this week gives you at least a few songs to add to your park playlist for Summer 2021.
