Mark Garvey is a DIY artist from Hertfordshire who works as a one-man band out of a garden shed. Instead of a conventional studio setup, he builds his abrasive tracks entirely inside Adobe Premiere Pro, video editing software, a method that suits a song about permission and gatekeeping. His new single, “In a World Full of Sheerans, Be More Macklemore,” is a confrontational, heavily distorted track that’s been described as both hardcore punk and grunge, and it takes a clear side in a very public argument.
In a World Full of Sheerans, Be More Macklemore
The song responds to the controversy that followed Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s US tour after he spoke in support of Palestinians onstage. According to RIOT Magazine’s account, venues objected, the tour promoter removed him from later dates, and Sheeran said the decision wasn’t his, argued that his concerts should stay welcoming to people with different views, and later apologized for mistakes in how he handled the situation and spoke about the suffering in Gaza. Garvey’s title compresses all of that into two contrasting examples, and the song delivers a judgment rather than a neutral summary.
Lyrically, it argues that staying neutral during a humanitarian crisis is a calculated, profit-driven retreat dressed up as principle, and it demands that musicians drop self-protective silence and openly back liberation movements. It’s a one-sided protest song in the long tradition of the form, and it doesn’t take up the other side’s stated reasoning, including the idea that a concert should be open to people across the spectrum. Listeners will bring their own views to it, and that is part of what makes it provocative.
The sound matches the anger. Relentless, rapid rhythmic pounding and heavily distorted progressions push forward without pause before detonating into a chaotic, high-energy climax, and the cut-and-splice process shows in the manic momentum. The accompanying video leans into humor, with a dancer in a shell suit wearing a deliberately ridiculous Ed Sheeran mask, choosing mockery over solemnity.
The release also raises a broader question for independent musicians, who have far less institutional protection than global stars when they speak out. Garvey’s small-scale approach, a shed, a laptop, and editing software, gives the demand to take a stance an interesting perspective, since he’s making the argument from outside the machinery of stadium touring, and his freedom to be abrasive is part of the appeal.
Final Thoughts
“In a World Full of Sheerans, Be More Macklemore” is a blunt, homemade protest single that stakes out a strong position and leaves the argument open for the listener. Stream it on Spotify, watch the video on YouTube, visit markgarvey.art, and follow Mark Garvey on Instagram, Facebook, and Bandcamp.
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