Mac DeMarco goes long with new 199-song album

Some two weeks after Mac DeMarco surprised critics and fans with a new 199-song album, the indie rocker opened up in an interview with The Associated Press about why he decided to do it. He says "One Wayne G" is a deeply personal project - a self-portrait of sorts - and one that he felt would enable him to move forward with making new music.
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[@swilson94]

What I like about Mac is there's no pompousness, arrogance or pretentiousness. He seems like a completely genuine dude.

[@jzubs]

his answer at 6:14 proves this, and I love the answer he gives

[@princetomnjimn7119]

canadians

[@damazywlodarczyk]

Funny. The fact he released a 9 hour album is as pretentious as you can get. Nobody will listen to this.

[@leahonyoutube96]

@@damazywlodarczyk i dont really think mac expects people to listen to it. he just wanted his music that never made it on his previous albums to be out in the world, which doesnt seem pretentious to me

[@remydamiani2272]

except the time he called people who use digital music software vs analog tape decks "ret**ds"

[@LacoSinfonia]

I remember a clip of him from a few years ago clicking through random mp3s he’d made of different snippets where he says “it’s garbage but it’s fun to make” and all the comments were saying “no just release it”. And he really did

[@dozey1242]

Track 24

[@TurkeyManIndustriesLLC]

@@dozey1242 The jam from that clip has stuck with me since I first saw it a few years ago and when I heard it I was so stoked.

[@megatsu4476]

@@mightymeowz and 20190724 2

[@whatthehellisgoingon5789]

You mean the classic “Mac Demarco’s loss of musical criteria”

[@mightymeowz]

@@megatsu4476 Yesss!

[@adisonchristie1086]

Macs in his own world rn and I think that's really sick!! He's such a unique artist and person, I look forward to whatever music of his comes next

[@DannySullivanMusic]

could not agree more. entirely correct dude

[@user-ob9zo9cr4c]

he just himself, he could expose this industry

[@yourejovian]

A lot of other artist like that. Don’t just focus on the one in front of you

[@kcoose5356]

Ur all suckers is so funny. Willing to accept anything this dude puts out

[@ChunkyBunny2]

@@kcoose5356 Do you think its possible that a lot of his fans genuinely like the kind of music he makes, leading them to also enjoy his new music?

[@mangosarefun]

I love that mac is doing what he feels like doing rather than what other people want him to do. Excited for whats next

[@DannySullivanMusic]

yup. utterly true man

[@MM-vs2et]

We gotta keep in my mind that his ability to do that is a luxury. Most artists cannot do what he does, which is to accumulate enough resources throughout his career to be able to make and release whatever they want. Most of us has to conform and chase trends due to necessity, or even survival. Mac is still one of the greatest in our generation, he's inspired me in more ways than just music and will still stand tall until his name is uttered last. But perspective is needed so as not to be blindly lulled into the idealism of indie independence.

[@wadeboggs617]

facts, people hate on five easy hot dogs, seriously hit me in a spiritual way, it coincidentally helped me drink less, which was a big problem for mac years ago

[@wadeboggs617]

its nothing like his old albums and i can see why people were expecting something more similar to his older work, but its amazing in its own right and could even be put in different catagories his others dont fit into, its weird and strange and unexpected and i love(d) it

[@elijahpelito4722]

Them and Arctic Monkeys. It's kind of a curse that if you go long enough as an artist you are kind of forced to go "pop" to stay relevant but mac and am have proven that they grew well overtime

[@nickewermusic]

This album filled me with personal inspiration to make music, music without a particular goal, just for the sake of making it and having fun in the process, really, thank you very much Mac

[@mattayre7746]

agreed, it's all about doing it for yourself and enjoying it, which i love about Mac.

[@chriscolemusicalsound]

this is how it should always be!

[@DannySullivanMusic]

you're right. completely true man

[@jacoblee8181]

This is what any musician loves to hear from another! Keep it up and just create

[@dblackout1107]

You’ve evolved as a musician once you can make this jump to making what’s in your head without restrictions. That’s when you’re not just trying to emulate anyone anymore, not struggling to find what plug-in to use or how to use them in the first place, or not trying to figure out how to actually use the DAW. You’re fully unlocked. I’m only about 2 years into this sort of musical enlightenment after 9 years of learning and experimenting and it’s a euphoric and liberating feeling when the ideas start to flow.

[@sxrvsvct7911]

He should play the album live in person. All 199 songs

[@Blink_1984]

That would be a sick concert.

[@tatiqc]

not sober and now sober, this guy is the definition of coolness without effort. So proud of him.

[@bennyjetsonmontreal6113]

He's sober now??

[@KDF54321]

My opinion on that depends on sober from what

[@bennyjetsonmontreal6113]

@@KDF54321 well he only smoked cigs and drank before

[@KDF54321]

@@bennyjetsonmontreal6113 then I’m glad he’s sober, definitely

[@johnnyfigueroa2195]

Dude he looks so much better too, he’s glowing

[@chrisruiz4729]

He looks so much healthier and at peace with his life, output, and environments. Love you Mac.

[@andrejose0423]

I love that AP got the big Mac DeScoopo on this album

[@CertifiedMailSignatureRequired]

Same, just wish they had a lil better audio mixer ^_^

[@thedudewiththehair2498]

Finding Mac when I was a “angsty” 16 year old and continuing to listen to him and see the progress and change in his sound is the most comfortable feeling I’ve ever felt. People change, we change, things change and life goes on.

[@robsmith6377]

Fax bro, details change, structure abides

[@claytonzongclin1059]

One time me mac demarco his drummer joe and a roady tanked a bottle of wine while walking to one of my favorite bars. They stayed open an hr later because he was there and when i went home and said goodbye we screamed gibberish at each other. First time i met him he bummed me a cigarette. Amazing human being.

[@gougav]

RIP Ryuichi Sakamoto. Everyhting in this interview makes me feel closer to Mac and his approach as an artist. Especially the talk about DIY becoming an aesthetic instead of just a way of doing things.

[@TomaszKalusMusic]

It's very inspiring and refreshing to hear him talk about it proudly, and also you can see how much he had matured since Salad Days. Just a cool guy talking about his passion

[@LukeCanadaOfficial]

As a musician myself, I have a bunch of recordings that were never really finished. It’s refreshing to see the appreciation from people on these small little demos. Just shows you that a song doesn’t have to be completely polished for it to sound amazing and have meaning to it. Thank you Mac

[@raymondpaulshive9081]

Mac is a great summarizer of the current music landscape. He will be remembered as a bold voice that inspired a generation to do it themselves.

[@MegaLaban12345]

Probably not

[@ripdito]

current music landscape is dire at best but he will inspire many

[@ViiZiiOnZ915]

I thought he was very poignant when he said how the industry has monetized the diy aesthetic and the vibe of the diy artist. Also how hard it has become to break out in the industry since it's so accessible to everyone. Like this man knows what he's talking about

[@SebastianTinajero]

A lot of people love to say “I’m gonna make the music I want to make and I don’t really care what others think” and Mac is genuinely one of those artist that has actually been doing that, his actions truly speak louder than words.

[@Philomanjaro]

One Wayne G is honestly my favorite project of his since 2. So many gems, it really has something for just about everyone.

[@WowJustWow37]

It’s been a real comfort to me

[@abbyt3315]

glad to see how macs doing and his perspective on the music he’s been putting out. Hope you’re doing well man!

[@DannySullivanMusic]

for real. 1000% true

[@eddienorman.mp3]

I absolutely adore One Wayne G it fits into his body of work so well like i’d been hoping for something along the lines of. He’s aging like stilton (potted delicacy).

[@Alix777.]

It's just boring garbage

[@xdmemes5821]

the Ryuichi Sakamoto influence is seen in the ambient tracks and they came out so nicee

[@residual_soap]

Excited to buy the Vinyl release of One Wayne G

[@uncooldispatch5438]

I’ll go CD 💿

[@GameLlamaProductions]

love how open he is about the art here.

[@hotwatermusic_]

I've never really been a big fan of MD, so I had no clue this existed. Decided to check it out, and man, it's reminding me of when I used to create little random songs in garageband back in the day. They were all labled 20059393103demo and 20059393103demo_v2m

[@ferfrancol]

Looking healthier Let's go Mac!

[@noahsabadish3812]

how so? i havent been following his appearances

[@jacobiskandermusic]

A new Mac interview. You love to see it

[@naomio8163]

it's refreshing to hear him talk to seriously and genuine.

[@Shnowz]

i love this album so much it reminds me of my youth and making music with my friends churning out multiple songs a day of all different genres just for the sheer love of it

[@charlesjarome5995]

Still the prince of independence. And I consistently dig what he puts out. And that's it.

[@PacifisticPug]

This is such a great interview. I hope he writes a memoir someday and goes in-depth about himself and his experiences.

[@jimjamjerry]

Same here

[@scottwilson8978]

Mac is an artist that truly cares about what he creates and what people hear. This is just one part of the journey that we get to see. I love Mac and all of his music and im glad he's so prolific and keeps pushing himself. He's a young man and we are a long way off from work witnessing his best music, which is crazy because He's made amazing music and art. He will continue to grow and im excited to be there for the ride!

[@mygic183]

Yes Sakamoto, what an artist, so glad you mentioned him, makes sense…

[@D1RTYD4N13L5]

Mac is humble but I hope one day he truly takes in just how much he's influenced people like me for the past decade and more. He changed my life

[@calebkeller]

his expression of ideas is so fluid and eloquent. and not only is mac nice to listen to, his insights are so that you readily understand that this a man who has spent a lifetime contemplating and creating music. he is truly an inspiration. also it was funny seeing him clam up a little bit about the money and fame. the eloquence took pause. lol

[@trustygeorge]

To me, mac has a pure soul. I love that

[@joeanderson8839]

Im also a song and music writer. I would love to be able to release my music. I have been thinking about it recently, and I have decided that analog quality recording, and vinyl and cassette is the only way to go.

[@zionlw11]

I’m honestly just glad to hear from Mac. Since he doesn’t really have a social media it’s always a great to see/hear what’s going on in his life and his thoughts

[@isabellaj4038]

I didn’t understand the mixed reactions to the album release online. I appreciate the new content and think the album sounds great. Thank you Mac, no one will ever truly be like you no matter how hard they try

[@nikkitapalms]

im so grateful for this guy and his music

[@2m7b5]

I really like the album. I doubt I've heard all of it yet, but I really enjoy just putting it on shuffle and saving my favorites to a playlist. Some of the tracks like 20190127 were totally unexpected and I feel like we never would have heard them if it weren't for an album like this.

[@icnocuicatl]

He’s so beautiful and so smart and talented. He’s a treasure.

[@Garbageman28]

Hearing mac talk about mastering is real neat. Dude has a lot of knowledge all cooped up.

[@kevinkempt]

he’s really nice to hear talk

[@Randscorporation]

I’ve never really listened to Mac much, but it’s so clear how passionate he is about music. What are some standout tracks from the new album?

[@sexton610]

And fooled by Love

[@00wenn]

I like 20190801

[@bobcekaymusic]

This is so rad I can't even put it into words

[@gabriellepfalzgraf9709]

Mac you are aging like fine wine ! love where your mind’s at, so inspiring to listen to you. Peace

[@gnarsh.and.friends]

Every since I first heard Mac on "2," he's been one of my biggest musical influences. In my opinion, he only gets better every year and every new release. Love you Mac!!

[@nickalonzo4987]

Such a beautiful interview

[@mananoband]

i love you Mac, just that was what i needed to hear. Thank you!!!

[@macaroon147]

This was such a great interview.

[@offgridRC]

Happy for this guy. You have to do what makes you happy with music. I struggle with PTSD, and learning disabilities. For me my happy place is making small 30 second hooks on Tik Tok for easy no thought lo fi sounds . Making full songs to be dissected almost lead me to quit music. I know what I do is very different from what Mac is talking about, but music is an expression not a commodity. Strong work mac

[@duo315]

met him back in like 2012. unusual experience

[@logann7942]

He looks like a civil war soldier who got transported to the future and bought a hoodie.

[@user-yu1xq3hn8d]

can't wait for the vinyl

[@Kyle-mz8ng]

One Wayne G sounds like if Mac wrote a soundtrack for another Earthbound game. Definitely a decent amount of fans that will appreciate it

[@thechosenmountain9815]

inspirational for sure. gives me hope to keep making and listening to music. love this guy even though I don't know him.

[@natashag3249]

I appreciate mac so much- I hope he never stops making music

[@reid171717]

Wow I’m just excited to see a new interview with him as I am to see the new album. What a guy!

[@Zeal808]

Perfect. Thank you Mac

[@WowJustWow37]

Grandpa! We missed you! (I’m literally older than him)

[@blond5361]

it’s genuinely really nice hearing him talk

[@BreadandFaxes]

I listened to it all over the past couple days and i liked it a lot.

[@Jocie1072]

I love him with all my heart

[@andielvs]

thanks for the authenticity, i lov u mac

[@moonchildcollective]

and i will listen to all 199+ songs! his sound is unique & melodic! whatever he’s produced, i’ve loved-regardless of time that has passed! i’m excited to see what his mind creates ! 🙌

[@TurkeyManIndustriesLLC]

WE LOVE MAC! I have been chipping away at One Wayne G and there's so much gold in there. I love the varied completeness of songs and the whole idea of the release is really awesome. Just get it out there.

[@coutopraze]

Love your work, do whatever you want.

[@singfortheday0]

Mac is amazing. Great interview, thank you.

[@BrandonMobley614]

That’s a very clever album title. I can’t wait to check it out. Mac DeMarco is really my main influence as far as home recording and songwriting.

[@mememan3799]

Mac looking like a Union Solider, I hope hes doing well.

[@antlerbraum2881]

Lol, with the mustache and blue clothes and everything.

[@Omaga297]

I remember when “here comes the cowboy” album came out everyone thought it was mid (myself included) but then like 3 years later that album got like 100 million listens per song. He just projects his art, and doesn’t care about the perception from others. It can also take some time for it to be appreciated. Like when a painter dies and their pieces sell for millions. Kinda like that

[@jackdonaldson7761]

Really cool to hear from him again. Rock on Mac!

[@daymansbj6676]

I love this man, thanks for getting me into music Mac

[@austinjones935]

He’s matured for sure, this album shows it both in his personality and his music so I’m super hyped for future projects

[@cheekofnut]

Mac is such a great communicator. Seen bits and pieces before but it’s nice to see a lucidity and charming openness from him here

[@timothyletwin5911]

He's our little genius.

[@karlmarx7397]

I love Mac so much

[@belenpiscicelli1689]

a unique artist. its beautiful

[@BrotherBroosh]

What I really like about the album and idk if anyone else has felt about this too….but some of the songs that Mac recorded happened to be on dates that I remember very significantly still in the last 4 years.

[@weenis2876]

definitely, especially in 2019

[@evedotcom]

“I love music. Music is cool” lol agree. Love you mac

[@julianthorsted9250]

Love this man with all my heart. I can get behind almost anything he makes

[@melina7725]

love his music sooooo much:)

[@TheBlackjackal04]

🌿 Love is in the air Grateful for what you do Mac 🌿

[@ronaldinho4eva1]

with this Mac gave me not only great music but also a great sampling library. so many tracks i wanna write lyrics to.

[@pointytoebro]

It would be funny if he released a "deluxe version" with 1 extra song (totaling 200)

[@sb_dunk]

Thank you uncle Mac

[@6BURG9]

Super intuitive but also incredibly humble and relatable. Mac is a rare cat.

[@howischris_]

This is brilliant. It’s the process.. the joy of creation. All parts. Such a vulnerable and brave thing. Inspired to just lighten the weight and just trust the process… we’ll done Mac.

[@bobbyutton]

He's really leaning into the "I know I look like I'm 57, but I'm secretly in my 30s" look. Love it

[@Hmmaikel]

nahhhh

[@51Boiler73]

he looks like an incredibly average 33, idk what 57 year olds you've been looking at

[@wabbit2099]

Why are you guys picking on this sweet little 10 year old?

[@threeinitiates8260]

He is so genuine

[@lilfuego6613]

5:40 couldn’t have said it better Mr.Demarco 🍻

[@kikiandgigi9585]

Great messages from him. Im glad hes true to himself!

[@cooldudes6025]

Love that Mac always shouts out our hero Sakamoto ❤ Keep on keeping on, Mac! 🔥

[@leeroden7900]

Great interview. Props

[@skidogleb]

Man imagine being so blessed by life. I know nobody is perfect but Mac is perfect to me.

[@makillafofilla101]

You gotta be perfect to you! You got this homie

[@jjjjuda]

Gosh I love this guy

[@Mygriefiskillingme]

Now I have something to live for thx Mac

[@ryandavis7070]

lovely just to watch this human talk

[@ts4gv]

dude. he's so thoughtful. this is great. some people just align with my conversational ideal so perfectly.

[@blakeandcamp]

Surprising to hear him talk so seriously and candidly about his music process because I'm so used to Mac being goofy and cracking jokes constantly in his interviews. Reminds me a lot of Tyler the Creator and how he used to always do that in interviews but he gradually matured as his music matured and took them more seriously. Mac looks a lot healthier now that he's sober too which is nice to see.

[@jimjamjerry]

Love Mac, his and Macca are my biggest influences