Music

Inside Mac DeMarco's trash-strewn minivan

by Mark Teo

In the year since AUX anointed Mac DeMarco’s 2 as one of the 2012’s best albums, the gap-toothed Montreal jokester has become a bona fide star. As we’re watching his pre-show soundcheck in Toronto, stray fans spill inside the closed-off venue before getting kicked out by the Hoxton’s security staff. When we stroll over to his tour van, a starstruck kid—who looks barely 18—tails us, eventually joining us for the interview. And during our chat, fans knock on the car window, armed with cigarettes and pens. They want DeMarco to sign their packs of cigarettes—Viceroys, obviously.

But despite the Beatles-esque fans, the accolades from Tyler, the Creator, and the fact that his melted guitar chords have carried Edmonton’s scene into the spotlight (see: Mint Records’ Rennie Wilson, Captured Tracks’ Alex Calder, Mexican Summer’s Travis Bretzer, et al.), the ever-approachable DeMarco’s no superstar. Because stars travel in first class, and DeMarco only recently swapped his beat-up sedan, in which he toured North America, for an upgrade: His mom’s minivan. He gave us a tour of the trash-strewn corners of his touring steed and outlined his touring essentials.

Photos by Riley Taylor.