Not Quite Angels

Los Angeles-based gay pop duo Jason & deMarco have created quite a buzz mainly because of the Showtime documentary We’re All Angels. That piece of propaganda, now on DVD, focuses on the pair’s eight-year relationship, their coming out and their strong religious faith (which explains why they often perform in churches). Tracks from their new CD Safe have made it onto the coveted Abercrombie & Fitch retail store playlists despite the couple’s religious connotations.

deMarco is originally from Toronto but 10 years ago, at 23, he left for LA to meet with labels and agents after winning a local talent contest. “I’m actually a Woodbridge kid,” says the impossibly sweet deMarco who went to the Etobicoke School of the Performing Arts and York University, “I never got to hang out on Church Street as I’m from a conservative Italian family who wasn’t exposed to the gay life, so when I went to Los Angeles it was quite the culture shock for me.”

Despite growing up Catholic, deMarco now doesn’t want to label his beliefs except to say that he’s a progressive Christian or “spiritual.” He emphasizes that they are not preachers and they will not be singing church songs at their upcoming concert. He’s excited to bring his band and not just backing tracks back home for the fi rst time. He says the concert will be light and fun with not only their own songs but also covers of U2 and Mary J Blige.

deMarco maintains that his relationship with Jason is still going strong because of honesty and laughter. “I think Jason’s adorable and he has a big heart,” describes deMarco. “The most romantic thing he’s done was for one of our anniversaries he took me to South Beach to the Delano Hotel. That really blew me away as it was very early on and it was a lot of money to spend on a new boyfriend.”

Jason, an Aries, contends that he is very much the romantic as his writing is more emotional than the Aquarian deMarco. Jason grew up in the gospel industry but has many contemporary music influences including Sting, who “has a lot of spiritual overtones in his music,” as well as Sade and the old Mariah Carey, not the recent photoshopped version.

The popsters have played at the gay Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto several times but never with a full band. He notes that reverend Brent Hawkes has been very supportive but that the ambitious singers know that their career will only take off if they perform more shows outside of churches.

“Many gays won’t even step foot into a church, especially the younger LGBT generation who don’t want anything to do with organized religion,” explains Jason, “That group now is more about joining environmental and social causes or finding more of a spiritual path. We love our life and what we do and have a very strong faith so we are not these bitter, jaded gay guys. But I think we also, as a community, need songs that couples can relate to. We got so many emails about our song ‘This is Love’ from gay couples saying that this is our song and this is what we are playing at our wedding.”

Jason and deMarco perform at 8:30pm on Tues May 19 at Supermarket, 268 Augusta Ave. Info: jasonanddemarco.com

daniel paquette
tunes@famagazine.com