Marcas Mac, Gaeldom’s “King of Pop” (Rachel Kennedy, Rapal) returns with third single alongside Kerry-born Gary Keane of London-based collective Electric Pineapple. The new cut is slated for a 28th May release, with the video, a LUPUS&LEO production, to follow on 29th May.
The song is the third single to be released by Edinburgh-based Marcas, cementing the place of pop music within the ever-renewing Gaelic musical canon. Mòd Gold Medal-finalist, Marcas has once again contributed vocals, lyrics and melody, recorded locally in Edinburgh, with Keane working his magic remotely, as per ongoing Covid-19 guidelines.
The new track brings the Gaelic Language firmly into the Scottish mainstream, with it’s catchy hook and contemporary sound. The digital release will feature across all platforms where music is bought and streamed, including Bandcamp, iTunes and Amazon.
Marcas says: “Nochd picks up where Fichead ‘s a h-Ochd left off, this time articulating contemporary LGBTQ experience in Gaelic. This time the song focuses on body image, an issue which has massive importance to the queer community. The mainstream media, as well as the gay press, really do have impact on how we view ourselves and find others to be attractive, with their upholding of a number of physical ideals and aesthetics, which are rarely inclusive.”
The song certainly resonates in the present moment with such debates regularly featuring in the media – print, online, television and radio. These themes also featured in the song ‘Dumbbells’, which Marcas co-wrote and performed alongside Bogha-frois at Celtic Connections. Marcas was due to represent Scotland at minority language song contest Liet International in 2020, before it was called off due to Covid.
Marcas continues: “The song is a prequel to Dumbbells, in that it describes that moment when a relationship goes wrong and the person being rejected looks inwardly, asking “what did I do?” “what’s wrong with me?”
Despite the poignancy of the lyrics, the video reaches a positive conclusion with a cameo from Marcas’ partner in life and art, the artist and filmmaker Joshua Wilson, with whom Marcas is one half of the duo LUPUS&LEO.
With Wilson behind the camera, the video was shot at home on Marcas' Huawei phone.
“We brought the 90s back with the lighting and smoke machine” jokes Marcas. “Unfortunately the dry ice also set the smoke alarm off at 4am, but hopefully the neighbours will like the song! The black labradors who live next door were singing along anyway!”
For further information about the single and interviews, contact marcasmac@hotmail.com.