Makar’s spontaneous, blues-infused songs tap into a particular vein of optimism and melancholy, responding to our fractured modern culture with an eclectic and literate blend of indie rock.
A self-described “...dark and groovy little New York band,” Makar was formed in 2002 by husband and wife Andrea DeAngelis and Mark Purnell. It was not their intention to build a band around their union but after a fruitless search to join respective groups, they dared each other to write their own material. Before long they embarked on their first nail biting NY gigs, releasing their debut album, 99 Cent Dreams, later that year.
It wasn’t long before the band’s tunes were recognized on a national scale. Their music video for “I Hate My Job” received late night rotation on MTV2, they were voted into 2015’s Top Ten Indie Guitar Bands alongside MGMT, Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot while Rust Magazine called their sophomore album, Funeral Genius, an “...indie rock masterpiece.”
Their latest album, Fancy Hercules, was forged in the fires of quarantine and much like Hercules, who made it through his twelve labors smiting every beast, Andrea and Mark transcended their own personal tragedies during the recording - losing both of their mothers while attempting to navigate the changing landscape of their city. The resulting recording encompasses all that is holy about rock n roll, chalk full of mystery, great riffs, and a wild spectrum of subject matter. “We never run out of ideas,” asserts Mark. “We have so many it’s frankly overwhelming - like a spigot that can’t be turned off.”
MAKAR jamming at the Matted Gallery. Taken by Tom Tostanoski.