In 2011, DeMarco moved from Vancouver to Montreal to begin recording as a solo artist. He was joined by Alex Calder and Jen Clement, signed to Unfamiliar Records, and toured with Vancouver band Japandroids in 2009. DeMarco worked on 'psychedelic' video projects during this time. Living in the Killarney neighbourhood, he released a self-produced album, Heat Wave, as a part of the indie rock project Makeout Videotape in 2009. 2009–2012: Early projects and Rock and Roll Night Club Īfter graduating from Strathcona High School in Edmonton in 2008, DeMarco became a backing musician.

In January 2023 DeMarco said he no longer smokes cigarettes. He started smoking cigarettes as a teenager, which has now become a big part of his image. During high school he was in several bands, including indie rock band the Meat Cleavers, alternative R&B group the Sound of Love and post-punk band Outdoor Miners (along with current keyboardist, Alec Meen), which was named after ' Outdoor Miner', a song by English rock band Wire. Around this time he started playing guitar, with lessons from his grandmother. Mac DeMarco attended McKernan School for junior high. His mother, Agnes DeMarco, later changed his name to MacBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco after his father left when Mac was 4 and refused to pay child support.

His great-grandfather is Vernor Smith, Alberta's former Minister of Railways and Telephones, for whom DeMarco was named, and his grandfather (also named Vernor Winfield McBriare Smith) was a judge of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta.

Life and career 1990–2008: Early life and education ĭeMarco was born in Duncan, British Columbia on Vancouver Island, and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. His style of music has been described as 'blue wave' and 'slacker rock', or, by DeMarco himself, 'jizz jazz'. He additionally released the mini-album Another One in 2015. DeMarco has released five full-length studio albums, his debut, 2 (2012), Salad Days (2014), This Old Dog (2017), Here Comes the Cowboy (2019), and Five Easy Hot Dogs (2023). MacBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco (born Vernor Winfield MacBriare Smith IV April 30, 1990) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer.

Mac demarco record label