If you haven't been keeping up with Orlando indie-pop star Marc With a C lately then — holy drama, mama — have you got some catching up to do. In a nutshell, it's been a bombshell. Actually, a surreal chain of them that's entailed devastating life upheavals and a stunning overhaul of the famous Marc With a C concept that's built a considerable following over the past two decades. He's been pretty open about everything, so scroll through his social media for the fuller story.
But, essentially, the "Phase II" chapter of Marc With a C's career gets real and drops the act. It's a sweeping sea change that jettisons the whole MWAC persona and shifts to the direct perspective of Marc Sirdoreus, the actual genderfluid person behind the iconic male veil.
Now, the new and true Marc With a C is finally out with the recently released Thanatophobia album. Marc's always been an artist of extraordinary detail, but the launch of this new era is especially involved. Lyrically, Marc's first-person explorations here draw from his deep well of recent IRL struggles. It's a maskless journey into personal saga that's acutely intimate and naked.
As for the music, MWAC devotees can breathe easy. Although his perspective has shifted dramatically, his musical instincts haven't. A vibrant hive of pop, psych, folk and his unmistakable expression, these 11 tracks ring familiar with Marc's touch.
To grandly mark the momentous new epoch, Thanatophobia is designed as an elaborate and high-concept work. The album comes with a companion piece titled Phobophobia to be played simultaneously for an augmented and surrounding experience.
Marc's powers of examination, commentary and delivery are what made him a cult hero. Now, they're all pointed directly at his own personal experience. As the debut of Marc coming out as his real self, Thanatophobia is an unflinching gaze into the inner world of a unique artist.
Thanatophobia now streams everywhere. And in yet another career development for Marc, the longtime DIY warrior is now releasing as a signed artist on notable indie label Needlejuice Records, where he'll be among the likes of King Gizzard, Bryan Scary and MC Lars.
