Mac DeMarco's Real Name: McBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco

Quick answer: Mac DeMarco's legal name is McBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco. He was born Vernor Winfield McBriare Smith IV on April 30, 1990, in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada. His mother later changed his name after his father left; "Mac" is the everyday short form (Edmonton Journal; AllMusic; MusicBrainz).

Why the name changed

DeMarco was named after a great-grandfather, Vernor Smith, who served as Alberta's Minister of Railways and Telephones. When DeMarco was about four, his father left and did not pay child support; his mother, Agnes DeMarco, legally renamed him McBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco, keeping "McBriare" from the original chain of names and adopting her surname. He has explained the story in interviews for years (Edmonton Journal).

Makeout Videotape to *Salad Days*

Raised in Edmonton, Alberta, he first recorded as Makeout Videotape after moving to Vancouver, then relocated to Montreal. As Mac DeMarco he released the mini-album Rock and Roll Night Club and the full-length 2 (both 2012) on Captured Tracks. Salad Days (2014) widened his audience with breezy, slightly out-of-tune guitar pop that critics labeled jangle, slacker rock or psychedelic pop. Later albums include This Old Dog (2017), Here Comes the Cowboy (2019), Five Easy Hot Dogs (2023) and Guitar (2025). He also issued the sprawling compilation One Wayne G (2023) and runs Mac's Record Label (AllMusic).

Style and public image

DeMarco is known for lo-fi recording habits, deadpan humor and a touring persona that mixes sincerity with prankish stage banter. Longtime partner Kiera McNally has appeared in his visual world; he has spoken about family, smoking and slowing down as he moved through his thirties. Despite the casual image, he writes, plays and produces most of his own material.

Recording approach

DeMarco often records at home with a casual mic setup, leaving pitch wobble and room noise in the mix as part of the aesthetic. That DIY method, plus marathon touring in the 2010s, built a devoted indie audience that treats Salad Days and This Old Dog as generational touchstones even as newer albums grow quieter and more instrumental.