Published by online media publication Interview Magazine.
Mac DeMarco and Julian Casablancas of The Strokes and The Voidz have shared a new conversation for online media publication Interview Magazine.
Having recently collaborated as part of an update for Grand Theft Auto Online in which Casablancas hosts a radio show and DeMarco features to reel off daily horoscopes under the guise of ‘Cosmic Commute’, the pair have reconvened for Interview Magazine to chop it up via telephone about TikTok, Chick-fil-A, Ariel Pink, the prospect of a looming COVID-19 vaccine, DeMarco’s community of musical friends – which includes Connan Mockasin, LA Priest and Drugdealer – and much more.
Read selected excerpts from the conversation below or jump in to the full article via the Interview Magazine website here.
On DeMarco’s favourite contemporary musicians,
“Cacablancas: On the list of positive musicians of today other than yourself—just exclude me—are there a few you can think of off the top of your head?
DeMarco: You know those Crack Cloud kids? I met a couple of them 11 or 12 years ago in Calgary, Alberta. I’m from Edmonton. They’re from Calgary. We have what they call a light rail transit system, and I met them at this train stop when we were all quite young. We’d all been drinking, and it was confusing, and we had this strange teenage drunk interaction thing. And then later they came down to play L.A. and I pull up expecting to be like, “Hey, I like you guys.” And they were like, “Well, we’ve known you for 12 years already, remember?” It’s a strange little story. Jesus Christ, rock and roll is alive and well in Vancouver, British Columbia. Other bands—friend Rory plays guitar with this guy Connan Mockasin. You know Connan, right? Connan’s in New Zealand being a dad. Actually, they opened up for The Voidz at some point.
Casablancas: Sure. We all played together.
DeMarco: That guy in that band, he’s actually great too. His name is Sam [Dust]. He has a thing called LA Priest. I think he lives in L.A. There’s a bunch of people in L.A. My friend Jerry Paper, Mild High Club. Drugdealer is another friend of mine. The Garden, I like those kids, these two twin brothers. We’ve got Snail Mail out in New York City. I was talking to her earlier. Her name is Lindsey [Jordan]. She’s working on a new record right now.
Casablancas: Amazing.”
On whether DeMarco has been recording a new album during his time spent in lockdown,
“DeMarco: It’s weird right now. We’ve got this coronavirus bullshit. People ask, “Oh, you must be making all of these records.” And it’s like, “No, I haven’t.” There’s a block for me. I need things with definite ends.
Casablancas: Are you just in your bathrobe every day?
DeMarco: Oh, fuck yeah. Big time. I just got out of the bath. It’s earlier in the afternoon here. It was maybe 3:30 when I got in, a weird time to take a bath, but I was like, well, there’s literally nothing else to do.
Casablancas: I think that justifies the bathrobe more, though.
DeMarco: Yeah, sure.
Casablancas: I think the reason might be because the pressure valves of what people do, the going out, seeing shows, hanging out with friends, all those things, is what makes your blood circulate. You’re a social dude, I would say.
DeMarco: Yeah. I’ve been writing songs, but the idea of doing a full record and then the idea of that record coming out in the middle of a pandemic digitally only, and then there’s no prospect of ever performing these things unless it’s on a live stream or something, I’m worried we’re going to come out of coronavirus, and there’s going to be 9,000 albums that are all like, [Singing] “Oh quarantine, baby, baby.” I’m not there for that.”
On DeMarco’s relationship with Ariel Pink,
“Casablancas: I have so many questions now flooding in talking to you. Ariel Pink – are you guys rivals or buddies?
DeMarco: We’re homies. He’s a big brother. I’ve been listening to him since I was maybe 16 or 17. But nowadays, I see Ariel around L.A. He comes and records here every once in a while. When I first met him, I was nervous.
Casablancas: Being the new kid on the block?
DeMarco: He gave me a bit of guff first, for sure. We had some strange interactions. But now, I think it’s been long enough where we can just hang. He came over to record in my studio a couple months ago. I get nervous every time. I admire him, even though I try to play it cool now. But he’s a wild guy.”
Words by Sam Wilkinson.
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