Mac DeMarco remembers being impressed the first time he met Vicky Farewell, the newest signee to his own label imprint, appropriately named Macâs Record Label. Introduced by a mutual friend in DeMarcoâs converted backyard studio at his house in Los Angeles, he recalls Farewell taking to the keys on a Yamaha CS-60. âI was like, âoh, youâre pretty good at that,â he says, reflecting on their very first jam session in their Friends Like These video chat for NME.
Itâs not surprising that Farewell, a classically trained pianist, caught DeMarcoâs eye. Having spent a number of years behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer, with credits on Anderson .Paakâs 2016 album âMalibuâ and Grammy-winning 2019 record âVenturaâ, it wasnât until lockdown that she set out to create something of her own.
The result was her first album, âSweet Companyâ â a distinctive eight-track debut coloured by balmy R&B melodies and funky retro-synth production â which came out earlier this month. âI would say I was the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life,â Farewell says of the self-written, produced and engineered album. When she played DeMarco the record, he offered her a label deal immediately.
The creative spark that drove Farewellâs debut is something DeMarco says he is âchasing after eternallyâ. But he does hint that process may currently be in motion. âI’m working on a record. I’m in New York. Am I working on it in New York? Maybe a little bit, some. Just in New York? No, I don’t think so. But I’m here now.â Remaining elusive about the follow up to 2019âs âHere Comes The Cowboyâ, the only hint he gives is that itâs somewhat Star Wars inspired. âYou guys seen Return of the Jedi?â he asks. âYou know the Ewok village? Sounds like that, I would like to think.â
But itâs not all about soul searching and record-making for the musical pals. They pair also reveal they sometimes head out together to hit a karaoke spot in LA, and before DeMarco shares his artist of choice, Farewell correctly guesses that his go to is Billy Joel. Though DeMarcoâs concerned he needs to find something a bit more âfunâ than the artistâs 1977 classic âJust the Way You Areâ.
In their Friends Like These interview, the musicians also discuss their favourite artists of all time, first live show experiences and the biggest misconceptions people have about them. Watch the video in full above.
The post Friends Like These: Mac DeMarco and Vicky Farewell appeared first on NME.