DECLAN MCKENNA

DECLAN

MCKENNA

WHEN HE PUT HIMSELF FORWARD TO PERFORM AT GLASTONBURY AND SUBSEQUENTLY WINNING THE EMERGING TALENT COMPETITION THERE, HE COULDN’T HAVE DREAMED THE LIFE HIS PATH WOULD TAKE. LITERALLY SIGNING TO COMUMBIA ON THE SPOT HAS CATAPULTED DECLAN TO A LIFE OF COLABORATIONS, MAKIMG MUSIC AND A UK, IRELAND AND EUROPE TOUR.

HERE HE TALKS TO US ABOUT HIS MUSICAL INFLUINCES INCLUDING THE LATE GREAT BOWIE, HE ADVOCATES THE IMPORTANCE OF BANNING CONVERSION THERAPY, AND OPENS UP ABOUT HIS OWN PANSEXUALITY.

HOW WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD GROWING UP IN ENFIELD AND TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY?

I was born in Enfield, and raised in Cheshunt actually, in the outskirts of, well, in Hertfordshire, just outside of North London. Yeah, it’s just quite a suburban town. A lot of commuting, and quite, very normal, British suburbia. At least, my section was that. And I grew up in a big family. I suppose it’s probably quite relevant. I had five older siblings. So, I was the youngest. And just sort of always been around music, really. My mum and dad were, not musicians with a capital M, but always did music in our church and stuff. And my dad always loved music, and played guitar. And Mum played piano and flute and stuff. So, I grew up in a family that’s definitely had a taste for music. Yeah. It was not the most exciting place to live, but I suppose it just made me want to reach outside of it. And I think exploring music helps me do that, in still, in an isolated way, but...

BACK IN 2015 WHEN YOU WERE 16 YOU WON THE EMERGING TALENT COMPETITION AT GLASTONBURY - THAT WAS BOUND SURREAL AT THE TIME, HOW DID IT COME ABOUT?

I entered it myself. I didn’t have a team or anything that was doing it for me, at the time. I was literally doing what I always did. You know, applying to play at festivals and just trying to get a gig whenever I could, really. You know, without really much clue of what it would lead to. But it wound up with me actually at Glastonbury, signing to Columbia Records there and then. Which was pretty nice full circle on the whole thing. But yeah, since then I’ve just been doing music fulltime. I mean, I’ve kind of wanted to do music fulltime from when I was about thirteen, fourteen. Just figuring out how to record from home, and working on little bits myself, and playing gigs or whatever. Pubs in London would let me in for half an hour and then kick me out. You know, all sort, of classic underage musician’s clout (laughter).

WHAT DID YOU SPEND THE £5000 PRIZE MONEY ON?

It all went on music stuff. It went on a new loop pedal, a new guitar and a spare guitar as well. Just for playing shows. I basically just renewed my old loop pedal rig, and got a new drum pad and just kitted out the… Yeah, I mean, well, it was PRS money, so if I blew it on anything else it would be a bit savage on the PRS. To just be like, ‘Two for the artist fund.’ It isn’t going to go. Yeah, I was very grateful for it, because my rig was very bootleg up until that point. I literally had, to go in for my competition I was borrowing a drum pad from my friend Max, who produced Brazil. It was very bootleg, and made up with Christmas presents and you know, just little things I’d collected over the years, and then actually hadn’t the money because… It was amazing. At that age as well, it was getting ready to do A Levels, getting ready to, I don’t know, not be doing music all the time, and maybe having to give up for that level.

COLLEGE/UNI ON THE CARDS?

Yeah, well you’re supposed to stay in school until you’re eighteen these days. But I was sixteen. I mean, I still plan to finish my A Levels. But I was doing my AS’s, and it got to October time. And it was like, just as the mad sort of stuff started happening with Brazil in America, on the radio. And it was an opportunity to go out there and promote it, from like March the year after. I was just like, ‘I’ve got to get out of this, and just go and do it properly.’ Because, I was like, ‘How do I know I’m ever going to get a jumpstart in a couple of years’ time to do this?’ It’s not I was really thriving at school, I was just doing it to do it, and get something out of it. But as soon as I could really have a chance to just do something in music, and actually work, and not have to go through the same ordeals that all my older siblings went through, going to uni and coming out of it, and being like, ‘What’ll happen now?’ It’s not exactly a perfect system. So yeah, I was delighted to just have the opportunity really.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR MUSICAL ICONS AND WHERE YOUR INSPIRATION COMES FROM?

I’m definitely influenced by David Bowie. Especially after he died. I’ve been a big fan throughout my teenage years. It was an amazing moment. So, I think, on this record specifically, I really looked towards the energy that I loved from Bowie, that I wanted to transfer onto this record. So, there is definitely a taste for that there. But I think I’d be uncertain to say it was a pure

glam rock record. Because apart from that. But yeah, Bowie’s one of my big influences, for sure.

WHO WOULD BE YOUR DREAM BAND OR ARTIST TO COLLABORATE WITH?

St. Vincent is my guitar hero, really. I think she’s brilliant. She’s a very inspiring performer and writer. And, you know, a big fan of bands like Vampire Weekend. Big fan of Bob Dylan. Big fan of Kate Bush and things. So, a lot of classic songwriters, you know, Paul Simon, who I’m into. They’re the people I’m into on this album especially. Classic songwriters, from the ‘70s and that, were really sort of a thing to me. I got my first own record player in the time I was writing it. But I was kind of shit. Doing some charity shop gigging, and really getting into some of that stuff.

WHEN CREATING NEW MUSIC ARE YOU SOMEONE WHO SITS WITH A NOTEBOOK JOTTING DOWN IDEAS OR DOES IT HAPPEN SPONTANEOUSLY IN THE STUDIO?

Both really. I’m constantly noting down things. Very few of them actually get used, but I’m always… it’s that classic sort of thing of just writing down overheard things in conversations. It’s just little real-life moments to have fun, to give the songs a bit of life and things like that. But yeah, a lot of the time my favourite songs that I write are really spontaneous. Not even when I’m trying to write songs, it’s like, when I’m just walking through the grass or whatever, and your brain just naturally pulls things together in your head, and you wind up having written half a song. And then you’re running home to put it down. So, that kind of stuff is, I don’t know, a bit less easy to explain. But it’s often when you come off with some of the best things when you’re not even thinking about it really. When you’re just letting your mind wander. The creative process, sometimes, is just that (laughs).

ALBUM WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT LOCKDOWN/COVID - HOW HAVE THE PAST FEW MONTHS BEEN FOR YOU? DID YOU OVERINDULGE WITH ALCOHOL OR LIKE MILLIONS ATTEMPT TO MAKE BANANA BREAD LOL?

It was creative for a minute, but it just became apparent after a while that I was going have to figure out how to release an album. And a lot of other things took over from what I would describe as proper creativity. Sort of, more, well, not regurgitation, but having to play the songs, and record versions of the songs, and getting… not really doing performing as such, in the way that I enjoy. You know, performing live and that. But doing stuff on the internet. Which is fine. We had some fun doing some things. But it obviously got a bit taxing, trying to make up the same ground on the internet as you would be touring and that. It’s just less energising, less exciting. When I was playing in one environment, it was a bit strange, you know, restrictive.

ZEROS WAS RELEASED JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, 10 GREAT TRACKS WITH A VERY DISTINCT SOUND, ON LISTENING I FEEL LIKE THIS WAS WRITTEN FOR ME WITH MY NAME BEING DANIEL AND A SAGITTARIUS LOL.

It was lol, this was the plan and it’s all come together.

SERIOUSLY THOUGH I LOVE IT - HAVE YOU A PERSONAL FAVOURITE SONG?

It always changes. But I think the one I really like, just at the minute, listening to it a few times this week is ‘Twice Your Size’. Because it’s just a song that really feels good. And I’m into that one at the minute.

I HAVE TO ASK WHO DANIEL IS THAT YOU MENTION IN ‘BE AN ASTRONAUT’ AND THE TRACK ‘DANIEL YOU’RE STILL A CHILD’?

It’s just, kind of like, an old character I stumbled into writing, maybe an exaggerated version of myself.

SO IS DANIEL YOUR SASHA FIERCE?

(Laughs) A little bit, I guess. But it was more for about just giving off the story I wanted to give. You know, seeing people becoming lost in the internet, and seeing how, I guess, division, and how pushing people away can lead people in dark corners. And there’s so many dark corners to turn to on the internet. And it can sort of… you know… waves of anxiety as well comes into it. I think all of those anxieties and fears for the future and all of that, kind of just poured into the character that is Daniel. Because he’s not a perfect character. I think there’s moments on the record where he’s sort of sulking, and it is quite negative, generally speaking. But I think he’s been beaten down. And I think that’s what the record talks about.

IN FEBRUARY YOU’LL BE TOURING AROUND THE UK AND EUROPE, HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO BE GETTING BACK ON THE ROAD?

Yeah, I am. I mean, we’re very hopeful to be back, soon as it’s safe to be. I’ve really missed playing. So just, yeah, we did three shows at the start of the year, and didn’t really get much else. So, it was a shame really, to not have that when we’re releasing an album. But I’m buzzing now. I think there’s going to be a great energy, and a great excitement when we finally can do it.

I THINK THERE ARE AROUND 36 DATES BETWEEN FEB AND JULY - IS THERE A SPECIFIC CITY OR VENUE YOU ARE MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?

I mean, two that are in my head are Brixton Academy, because I’ve been waiting to headline there for a long time. And Cyprus Avenue, being in Cork as well, because I have never played a gig in Cork but I’ve got a lot of family there. Yeah, it’s funny, I have the most Irish name, but then people are like, ‘Oh, you’re Irish?’ (Laughter).

AND TICKETS dreadful.

FOR CORK ARE ON SALE, ANY AND FINAL CHANCE OF QUESTION - YOUR BELFAST BEING P R E V I O U S L Y ADDED? SAID YOU FEEL

Well, I don’t IMPORTANT (I know. We’re kind AGREE) AND of taking it slow. AT A PUSH YOU But I’d love to. WOULD DESCRIBE I’ve played a few YOURSELF AS gigs… I actually PANSEXUAL - played some of IS THIS STILL my first gigs in YOUR VIEW AND Belfast when my ALSO IS THERE sister was at uni A SIGNIFICANT there. So yeah, OTHER IN YOUR I’d love to head LIFE ATM OR ARE up there. I think YOU ON THE the plan is to MARKET FOR potentially do GUY/GAL? more in Ireland.

LABELS AREN’T

Either in this one, Yeah, I think or we’ll come up pansexual’s a good some other time. label. I like it, you Yeah, I think we’ll know. I’ve always be in Belfast on struggled with this record, so to that. Especially just speak (laughs). being in the high school environment I READ YOU for a few years. I HAD BEEN think anything that VOCAL ABOUT way would be very B A N N I N G ZERO’S IS OUT NOW, AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE AND STREAM nerve-wracking to C O N V E R S I O N FROM ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS OR VIA DECLANMCKENNA.NET think about, to me. THERAPY, WE Because it’s, I mean, ACTUALLY HAVE A PIECE IN THIS ISSUE ON THE TOPIC AS IT HAS UNSURPRISINGLY NOT BEEN BANNED IN N.I - I WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A REASON YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT? I mean, my initial exposure to it was a few was alive in the present day. And so, that was just such a shocking story, and so devastating. And I think the time and the reason for getting behind a campaign to ban on LGBT therapy… it’s just that it is so damaging. It’s not going to work. It’s not going to help anyone. it’s a fucking joke throughout school. Regardless of if your friends think one way. There’s always people that joke about that sort of thing. About gender identity. About sexuality. Because I mean, people haven’t necessarily heard of… they can just be very, very ridiculous about it. Yeah, I tend to like that. I’m not someone years ago. Leelah Alcorn’s case became quite big online. And that was when my generation discovered that this thing was happening. Because it was, prior to that, just not something that I had been made aware of, outside of a very extreme and dated version of it. And not realising it It’s enforced suffering. It’s enforced rejection of yourself. And it’s disgusting. And the stats all lean towards it being an incredibly damaging and failing practice. And it’s just disgusting. So yeah, I don’t think there’s any argument I could give in favour of conversion therapy. I just think it’s who’s very, very specifically adamant about any label particularly. But, you know, if we’re going to go for one, that’s great. And yeah, I mean, I am seeing someone. I’m seeing someone for a few years. And, you know, that’s cool.