Biography
Mac DeMarco was born Vernor Winfield McBriare Smith IV on April 30, 1990, in Duncan, British Columbia, and was raised in Edmonton, Alberta, by his mother, who later changed his name after his father left.[2]
He began playing guitar in junior high, moved to Vancouver after high school, and released music as Makeout Videotape before relocating to Montreal in 2011 to pursue a solo career.[2] Captured Tracks signed him in 2012, and the albums 2 and Salad Days, the latter earning a Pitchfork Best New Music nod and a Polaris Prize shortlist, made him a figurehead of laid-back, jangly indie pop.[2]
After years in New York, he settled in Los Angeles, where he recorded Here Comes the Cowboy (2019) in his garage and founded his own imprint, Mac's Record Label.[1][2] The Los Angeles years also brought a close friendship with the late rapper Mac Miller, to whom he dedicated songs on that record.[3]
References
- Here Comes the Cowboy (Wikipedia) — Recording context and reception.
- Mac DeMarco (Wikipedia) — Biography and career timeline.
- Mac DeMarco has two songs on his new album dedicated to Mac Miller (The Line of Best Fit) — Reports DeMarco's dedication of two songs to Mac Miller and his account of their friendship.