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Declan McKenna

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Declan McKenna
McKenna in 2017
Background information
Birth nameDeclan Benedict McKenna
Born (1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 25)
Enfield, London, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • bass guitar
  • banjo
  • drums
Years active2014–present
Labels
Websitewww.declanmckenna.net

Declan Benedict McKenna[1] (born 24 December 1998) is an English singer-songwriter. He initially gained recognition for winning the Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition in 2015. McKenna self-released the song "Brazil", a protest song criticising FIFA and the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil, as his debut single in December 2015. The song reached number one on Sirius XM Radio's Alt Nation Alt 18 Countdown for 23 January 2016 and held that spot for three weeks. The song also reached number 16 on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart. He released his debut studio album, What Do You Think About the Car?, in 2017. McKenna released his second studio album, Zeros, in September 2020, after multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] He released his third album, What Happened to the Beach?, in February 2024.

Early life

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Declan McKenna was born in Enfield, Greater London,[3] on 24 December 1998[4][5] and grew up in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire,[6] where he attended St Mary's Church of England High School.[7] His mother was a teacher while his father worked as a milkman and in local politics. He is primarily of English and Irish descent and, though he no longer considers himself to be religious, he was raised Catholic. He began taking his GCSE exams in the summer of 2015.[4][8] He later studied for his A-levels in English Literature, Philosophy and Ethics, and Sociology, but stopped after a few months after his music career began to consume too much of his time.[5]

Career

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2015: Breakthrough with "Brazil"

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In 2015, McKenna entered the Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition. The festival named him the winner of the contest (April 2015),[8][9] for which he was awarded a £5,000 prize and a slot on the festival's William's Green Stage.[10] NME called him "one of the most sought-after new acts" in the United Kingdom after his win,[11] shortly after McKenna signed a management contract with Q Prime (the management company that represents British indie rock band Foals, amongst others).[6] More than 40 record companies vied to sign him, with McKenna choosing Columbia Records.[4]

McKenna wrote an extensive number of demo songs prior to releasing his first break-out single. He described the music as "Not very good!" and told an interviewer that he was trying to imitate Sufjan Stevens using basic music software. He posted roughly two albums' worth of material on his web site, but took them down after August 2015.[12]

In August 2015, McKenna self-released his first single, "Brazil". It was originally released through his own YouTube channel on 2 December 2014.[13] The song criticised FIFA, the governing body of association football, for awarding the FIFA World Cup to Brazil in 2014 without addressing the extensive and deep poverty affecting the people of the nation.[11] McKenna later told DIY that he wrote the song because "it's politics and what I see in the news, and it's just general things I feel strongly about, things happening in my life."[11] "Brazil" garnered McKenna widespread attention, as many sports commentators found the song to be a commentary on the emerging FIFA corruption scandal. Later in the year, he was interviewed on Sky News to discuss his views on football's relationship with poverty.[4][11] "Brazil" reached number one on the Alt 18 Countdown for 23 January 2016 on the Alt Nation alternative rock radio station on Sirius XM Radio,[14] and repeated as number one a week later, on 30 January.[15]

2015–2018: Early EPs and What Do You Think About the Car?

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McKenna in 2016, performing at the Boileroom in Guildford

McKenna spent the remaining months of 2015 playing a wide range of British and Irish music festivals and concerts in venues throughout London.[16] He played the Somersault Festival in North Devon, England, in July;[16] the Boston Big Gig festival in Boston, Lincolnshire, in July;[17] the Electric Picnic music festival in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland, in September,[18] and the Mirrors music festival in London in October.[19]

In November 2015, following the success of "Brazil" and his shows in London, McKenna self-released his second single, "Paracetamol". The five-and-a-half-minute song discussed how transgender teenagers are misrepresented in the media.[4] In an interview with Sound of Boston, McKenna explained that the title of the song came from "the idea of using the lyric paracetamol was a way of comparing the belief that someone can be cured from who they are, via therapy, to an everyday painkiller."[20] Matt Wilkinson of NME called "Paracetamol" McKenna's second break-out hit. Although it was not likely to receive radio airplay or top out the charts, Wilkinson argued, the song showed that McKenna was not just another "UK indie troubadour, a little bit oikish and with a nifty talent for mainstream melody", but rather a solid and accomplished songwriter who can deliver "bruised and vulnerable" vocals.[6] Jon Lyons of the music Web site ThisNewBand.com said the song showed a maturity that clearly indicated McKenna was not "just a teen dream or a one hit wonder."[21] Billboard said in early 2016 that McKenna was "making inroads in America" with "Brazil", which charted on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart (for the week ending 27 February 2016) at number 32, rising to number 26 on 5 March 2016 chart.[22]

McKenna stayed quiet for much of 2016, writing songs in his bedroom for his debut album,[23] but released "Bethlehem" that year, and in late August, his fourth single, "Isombard", which treated right-wing media.[5] He played at several music festivals in England: the NME Awards in February 2016;[24] the Live at Leeds festival over the 2016 May Day bank holiday;[25] The Great Escape Festival in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, in May 2016;[26] the Standon Calling festival in late July 2016 in Standon, Hertfordshire;[27] and the Field Day music festival in London in June 2016.[28] He made his North American debut at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, Florida, on 11 March 2016.[29] He then played three sets[22] at South by Southwest Music on 15 March 2016. [30] In October 2016, he was confirmed to play at the 31st edition of Eurosonic Noorderslag in Groningen, Netherlands.[31]

McKenna appeared on BBC Music's "Sound of 2017" list at the end of 2016, after releasing the two EPs Stains and Liar that year.[5] The EPs had similar tracklists, with "Brazil" and "Paracetamol" appearing on both. McKenna would release two more singles, "The Kids Don't Wanna Come Home" and "Humongous", before releasing his debut album, titled What Do You Think About the Car? English musician, record producer and composer James Ford, who had produced albums by Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, and Florence and the Machine, produced the album, which was recorded at a Kensal Green recording studio. The album was released on 21 July 2017 and received generally positive reviews. It featured all six of McKenna's previously released singles, as well as five new tracks. All songs on the album were written by McKenna alone, with the exception of "Listen to Your Friends", which was co-written with Rostam Batmanglij.[32] McKenna played at various festivals in 2017, including Coachella,[33] Lollapalooza,[34] Glastonbury Festival[35] and Reading and Leeds Festival.[36]

In 2017, McKenna won the BBC Music Award for BBC Introducing Artist of the Year.[37] He also appeared at the Pilton Party 2017 with Bastille.[38] On 17 January 2018, McKenna released a music video for "Make Me Your Queen".[citation needed]

2019–present: Zeros and What Happened to the Beach?

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Main articles: Zeros (Declan McKenna album) and What Happened to the Beach?
McKenna in 2021, performing at Brixton Academy in London

On 19 August 2019, McKenna released the song "British Bombs", which criticises UK foreign policy. He stated that it is specifically about "the hypocrisy of the British arms trade and the weapons convention in London". He wrote it as a result of wanting to write a song directly addressing war.[39] McKenna later announced via Twitter on 18 December that his upcoming second studio album was mastered and ready for release. He also had an artwork shoot for the album on the same day.[40] On 29 January 2020, McKenna revealed that his second album would be titled Zeros and be released on 15 May 2020. He also released the song "Beautiful Faces" as the album's lead single.[41] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he postponed the album until 21 August 2020. On 5 August, he announced that the album was again delayed until 4 September, when it was finally released.[42] Nearly two years after the release, McKenna embarked on a North American tour for the album in fall of 2022.[43]

In July 2021, he released the single "My House" with an accompanying music video, a song he described as being about "remembering what it is to be lost in your thoughts in a good way".[44][45]

In May 2023, McKenna embarked on The Big Return Tour in North America.[46] In July 2023, he released "Sympathy" as the lead single from his third studio album What Happened to the Beach?, which would be released on 9 February 2024.[47]

Critical response

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McKenna writes his own songs, but is supported by a band on tour currently consisting of Isabel Torres (guitar), Henry Pearce (keyboards), Linus Fenton (bass) and Ben Limmer (drums),[48] although he has previously played all of his own instruments.[9] In terms of the development of his musical style, he has said he would most like to emulate David Bowie's career.[12]

BBC News called "Brazil" an extraordinarily mature song for a 16-year-old songwriter.[8] Matt Wilkinson at NME called it "one of the best songs" of 2015, and had high praise for McKenna's second single, "Paracetamol", as well.[6] Jon Lyons of ThisNewBand.com called "Brazil" "a catchy song no doubt", and also noted that it was "a sharp critique on sports, money and power."[21]

Some music critics have tempered their praise of McKenna. Matt Wilkinson called McKenna's London gigs surprisingly good, if "rough around the edges".[6] Jon Lyons has observed that as of November 2015, McKenna's songs seemed to indicate an artist still experimenting with bands and styles of music which have influenced him. He felt McKenna was still "searching for his own sound right in front of the crowd. An artist is being born note by note."[21] Andy Welch, music critic for the Bristol Post, said McKenna was "one to watch", displaying "lots of early, ragged promise".[4]

Andre Paine of the Evening Standard was less impressed with McKenna's live show, commenting that although his performance "had plenty of energy ... [he] didn't quite live up to his reputation as the voice of a generation", going on to call McKenna's performance "messy".[49]

Personal life

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McKenna says he feels very good about being a role model.[23] At first, he said he also struggled to understand both the criticism and praise he received, but has been able to be more mature and more analytical about both.[50] He is a vegan and supports Tottenham Hotspur F.C.[51]

Sexual orientation

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After adopting a somewhat glam rock visual style for his live performances (which included use of eye makeup and glitter),[12] McKenna addressed questions about his sexuality with Attitude magazine by declining to label himself, saying, "I'm young. I'm here to be experimented with" and that he was "learning about a lot of things".[52] In a second interview with Attitude in May 2020, McKenna said of his sexuality he "couldn't put a label on it" but that pansexual may come close, stating "I would never have really said my sexuality is restricted to any gender or anything ... I might call it pansexual, depending on who I'm talking to. I struggle to imagine it in any other way."[53] He has a girlfriend, who is the topic of his 2021 single "My House".[54]

Political views

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McKenna acknowledges that he is seen as a "political" or "protest" singer. He does not see himself as someone "leading the conversation" but rather as a person singing about things his peers are already talking about.[23] For much of his initial work, McKenna said he tried to find inspiration for lyrics and topics in his private life. He felt his own life to be so uneventful, however, that he turned to political and social issues which he felt needed to be discussed.[12] For his second album, however, McKenna feels that he has had so much happen that he can draw on more personal experiences for his lyrics.[50]

McKenna performed at Labour Live, a music festival organised by the Labour Party, in June 2018.[55] He voted for the Labour Party in the 2019 general election.[56]

In July 2020, he signed an open letter to the then-UK Equalities minister Liz Truss calling for a ban on all forms of LGBT+ conversion therapy.[57][58]

Discography

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Main article: Declan McKenna discography

Studio albums

References

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  1. ^ McKenna, Declan Benedict. "ASCAP Ace Search". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  2. ^ Jones, Damian (5 August 2020). "Declan McKenna shares new track 'Be An Astronaut' and delays forthcoming album". NME. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837–2006". Findmypast.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Welch, Andy (12 December 2015). "Glastonbury Festival competition winner Declan McKenna is one to watch". Bristol Post. Archived from the original on 20 December 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Smyth, David (6 January 2017). "Declan McKenna, interview: The voice of Generation Z". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e Wilkinson, Matt (22 November 2015). "New Music of the Day: Declan McKenna – Paracetamol". NME.
  7. ^ "Waltham Cross summer fair provides eclectic entertainment: Slideshow". Hertfordshire Mercury. 7 June 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ a b c "New Talent at Glastonbury". BBC News. 23 June 2015. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  9. ^ a b Brinsford, Brinsford (17 April 2015). "10 Reasons Why Glastonbury 2015 May Be the Greatest Show on Earth". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  10. ^ Britton, Luke Morgan (13 April 2015). "Teenager Declan McKenna wins Glastonbury's Emerging Talent Competition". NME. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d Milton, Jamie (29 October 2015). "The astounding early days of Declan McKenna". DIY. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  12. ^ a b c d Savage, Mark (13 April 2017). "Declan McKenna: Bringing back the protest song (without being a bore)". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  13. ^ "Declan McKenna – Brazil". 2 December 2014. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ Sam, Doric (25 January 2016). "Declan McKenna top the Alt 18 with Brazil (1/23/16)". Sirius XM. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  15. ^ Sam, Doric (1 February 2016). "Declan McKenna top the Alt 18 with Brazil (1/30/16)". Sirius XM. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  16. ^ a b King, Ruth (23 July 2015). "Somersault Festival: Saturday line-up". North Devon Journal. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  17. ^ "Big plans ahead for Big Gig 2017". Boston Standard. 30 January 2016. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  18. ^ Hynes, Robert (31 August 2015). "Electric Picnic 2015: Stage times announced for this weekend's festival". Irish Mirror. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  19. ^ "Mirrors Festival: TRAAMS share their 'Brief Guide to 2000s Indie Revival Live Favourites That Never Made the Album' playlist". DIY. 28 October 2015. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  20. ^ Bedian, Knar (18 October 2016). "Interview: Declan McKenna". Sound of Boston. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  21. ^ a b c Lyons, Jon (23 November 2015). "Meet 16-Year-Old Declan McKenna and His Incredible Song "Brazil"". ThisNewBand.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  22. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (4 March 2016). "Tomorrow's Hits: She Is We, Declan McKenna & Colours". Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  23. ^ a b c Smith, Thomas (13 June 2016). "Declan McKenna Interviewed: 'A Lot Of People Don't Understand How Intelligent Young People Are'". NME. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  24. ^ Bargiela, Sarah (1 December 2015). "NME Awards Shows 2016 revealed". Entertainment Focus. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  25. ^ "Live at Leeds line-up revealed". Yorkshire Evening Post. 28 January 2016. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  26. ^ Taylor, Sam (2 December 2015). "Dilly Dally and Tuff Love among first confirmations for The Great Escape". Upset Magazine. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  27. ^ "Everything Everything, Suede, Swim Deep to play Standon Calling 2016". DIY. 1 March 2016. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  28. ^ "First acts announced for Field Day 2016". Crack Magazine. 26 November 2015. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  29. ^ Cridlin, Jay (16 February 2016). "The Struts, Front Bottoms set free concert at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg". Tampa Bay Tribune. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  30. ^ Graff, Gary (9 March 2016). "Naughty by Nature, Jenny Lewis & More Lined Up for Rachael Ray's SXSW Feedback Party: Exclusive". Billboard. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  31. ^ "First European Artists Confirmed for Eurosonic Noorderslag – Eurosonic Noorderslag". Eurosonic Noorderslag. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  32. ^ "What Do You Think About the Car? (2017)". iTunes Store. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  33. ^ "Lineup". Coachella. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  34. ^ "Lollapalooza 2017: Chance the Rapper, Lorde, Arcade Fire top 170-band lineup". Chicago Tribune. 22 March 2017. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  35. ^ "Declan McKenna and Alt J on living up to the Glastonbury 'wow-factor'". BBC. 30 March 2017. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  36. ^ "Line Up Poster". Reading and Leeds Festival. 30 March 2017. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  37. ^ "BBC Music Awards 2017 announce Declan McKenna as BBC Music Introducing Artist Of The Year". BBC. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  38. ^ "Glastonbury Festival – Pilton Party 2017 in photos". Glastonburyfestivals.co.uk. 25 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  39. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (19 August 2019). "Exclusive – Declan McKenna opens up about his politically charged new single 'British Bombs'". NME. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  40. ^ Declan McKenna [@DeclanMcKenna] (18 December 2019). "album is mastered and ready. artwork shoot today went hard. holy crapola. she's alive. happy holidays x" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 December 2019 – via Twitter.
  41. ^ "Declan McKenna announces new album 'Zeroes'". DIY. 30 January 2020. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  42. ^ "Q&A: Declan McKenna discusses confidence, '70s influence in sophomore album 'Zeros'". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  43. ^ Gallagher, Alex (22 June 2022). "Declan McKenna announces 2022 North American tour". NME. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  44. ^ Moore, Sam (9 July 2021). "Listen to Declan McKenna's first new music of 2021, 'My House'". NME. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  45. ^ Taysom, Joe (9 July 2021). "Declan McKenna shares delightful new single 'My House'". faroutmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  46. ^ Ciarlo, Concetta (24 May 2023). "Declan McKenna on His Big Return and Starman-Inspired Wardrobe". Vogue. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  47. ^ Ackroyd, Stephen (28 June 2023). "Declan McKenna is set to make a big return with his new single, 'Sympathy'". Dork. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  48. ^ "Declan McKenna Live @ The Future is Here – Extinction Rebellion in London (October 7th)". 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2020 – via YouTube.
  49. ^ Paine, Andre (24 May 2017). "Declan McKenna, tour review: Not quite the voice of a generation". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  50. ^ a b Norris, John (15 August 2017). "With Politics, Eye Makeup and That Album Cover, Declan McKenna Goes Bold". Billboard. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  51. ^ "Declan McKenna to appear on N17 Live on Sunday". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 9 September 2020. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  52. ^ "Singer Declan McKenna On Ditching Labels: 'I'm Here to Be Experimented With'". Attitude. 3 July 2017. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  53. ^ "Declan McKenna can't put a label on his sexuality – but pansexual might come close". Attitude. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  54. ^ "Declan McKenna Debuts New Single 'My House'". Broadway World. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  55. ^ Behr, Adam (18 June 2018). "Labour Live: why even Jeremy Corbyn struggles to sell a pop and politics mashup". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  56. ^ Declan McKenna [@DeclanMcKenna] (12 December 2019). "just voted for labour and now barnet is drenched in a red hue, there's still a few hours for you to go and vote too! get Boris the Liar out x" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 September 2020 – via Twitter.
  57. ^ "Ban Conversion Therapy on Instagram: "Our letter to government urging for a ban of conversion therapy has complete backing from some incredible #LGBTQ+ public figures and..."". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  58. ^ "UK To Finally Ban Conversion Therapy – 6 Artists That Champion The Change". Capital FM. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
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