Vanity Project
Is it a joke? A performance piece? A real indie folks album? An excuse for elaborate photoshoots? Zealous and effervescent, Vanity Project is a party with no dress code and everyone is invited. This debut album written and performed by Dale Mackey and produced by Adeem Bingham, with its shades of antifolk, pop, and indie rock, is fueled by unvarnished enthusiasm and playfulness.
Listen to Vanity Project
T-Shirt and Merch
“Because of Vanity Project, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to ask for attention. In this time, attention is so directly monetized that it is literally a valuable resource. To ask for it is tricky. We are told to be brazen, to be bold, to put ourselves out there and to never apologize for being who we are. And yet the unspoken mandate is that we do so casually and effortlessly, or else risk being seen as an attention-seeking try-hard. So we mask our desire to be seen and valued by showcasing our flaws with performative incompetence, or we divulge our vulnerability to balance out the audacity of sharing our joy. We invent the humble brag.
What scares us about wearing that hat or making an album is not the act itself, but the fear that people will see us in the act of trying. Trying isn’t cool. Cool is casual. Cool is indifferent. But those are two things I have never been. And I’ve always thought the humble brag was a real waste of a good brag.
So here is a true, non-humble brag for you: I’ve always been good at seeking out creative, talented, and generous people, and convincing them to come to my party. This album is our party, and you’re invited, too.”
— Dale Mackey
Good at You
covered by Travis Tench
To celebrate the one year anniversary of Vanity Project’s doomed-to-be-cancelled album release party, I’m sharing covers of Vanity Project tracks by some of my musician pals.
Good at You
covered by Idol Heart
To celebrate the one year anniversary of Vanity Project’s doomed-to-be-cancelled album release party, I’m sharing covers of Vanity Project tracks by some of my musician pals.
Coolest Girl
covered by Matt Farley of Modern Media, set to random videos on my phone
To celebrate the one year anniversary of Vanity Project’s doomed-to-be-cancelled album release party, I’m sharing covers of Vanity Project tracks by some of my musician pals.
Never Know
covered by Jonathan and his Four String Fiasco
To celebrate the one year anniversary of Vanity Project’s doomed-to-be-cancelled album release party, I’m sharing covers of Vanity Project tracks by some of my musician pals.
Never Know
covered by Mandi Lawson
To celebrate the one year anniversary of Vanity Project’s doomed-to-be-cancelled album release party, I’m sharing covers of Vanity Project tracks by some of my musician pals.
Waterbed
covered by Luke Brogden
To celebrate the one year anniversary of Vanity Project’s doomed-to-be-cancelled album release party, I’m sharing covers of Vanity Project tracks by some of my musician pals.
