Declan McKenna is in transition. When Bulletin board talks to the British musician in early October, surrounded by boxes while moving flats in London. He's also gearing up for a series of headlining live dates across North America, which include a special guest role on Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet tour, his first arena concerts. It is a time of new beginnings and new opportunities.
Explore
Check out the latest videos, charts and news
Check out the latest videos, charts and news
Then there's the biggest change: after a decade signed to Columbia Records, McKenna is going independent. McKenna signed to the label in 2015, aged 16, following the success of his viral single 'Brazil' and winning the Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent competition. The indie-pop song was a response to soccer's governing body FIFA and their decision to name Brazil as the host for the 2014 World Cup without addressing deep-rooted inequality and poverty. The track approaches 675 meters streams on Spotify.
McKenna has released three LPs on Columbia, most recently What happened on the beach? which charted at No.3 in the UK Albums Chart in February. There were shades of Paul McCartney's 1971 solo record Plunger and a more relaxed West Coast feel on the record made in Los Angeles with producer Gianluca Buccellati, whose credits include Arlo Parks and RAYE. McKenna also played a 10,000 capacity headline show at London's Alexandra Palace to accompany its release.
As the deal neared its end, McKenna began plotting a new path forward. Now, he self-releases his music through his Miniature Ponies label, a joint venture with ADA, a distribution company owned by Warner Music Group.
“I liked the idea of being independent and not having to explain what you're doing and why you're doing it,” says McKenna. “I feel pretty confident that I know how to do it, and it was the right time to try to get something else out.” He is effusive in his praise of some of his label mates, but says the relationship came to a natural end having fulfilled his obligations for three studio albums.
McKenna toasts the new era with a double AA single “Champagne” and “That's Life”, the first release for Miniature Ponies. In both tracks he incorporates more electronic elements into his sound and maintains his passion for stimulating songwriting. McKenna's melodies and choruses are some of the best to come out of British pop in recent years. Both songs examine the ridiculous excesses and follies of success, and in “Champagne” we're drawn into empty conversations where the social currency is attention: “Of course I didn't mean what I said, I just wanted them to laugh.” he reluctantly admits.
A key reason behind the decision to go independent, McKenna says, was to streamline his decision-making process and freely collaborate with potential collaborators on his music and visuals.
“If I was there to advise my younger self, I'd say 'you've got to stick to your guns on this,'” says McKenna. “There's a lot of working through fear from all different corners of the industry, but overcoming that and letting creativity happen naturally is so necessary and important.”
Outwardly, his roster so far has shown little sign of compromise. His ambitious 2017 debut What do you think about the new car? It was produced with former Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij and James Ford, whose credits include Arctic Monkeys and Florence + The Machine. decade of 2020 Zeroesmeanwhile, nods to '70s glam-rock and embraces the imperfect nature of the creative process, and boasts one of his best songs in “The Key To Life On Earth.”
Likewise, McKenna's voice continues to be honest. In 2019 he released the single 'British Bombs' which highlighted the role British arms companies play in fueling conflicts on a global scale. it is now a fan favorite and a staple of his live shows.
The new independent era is paired with some of McKenna's biggest shows. Beginning November 1, he will join Carpenter as her main support act for shows in Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver and more. He said the pair met at the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago last summer, where Carpenter revealed she was a fan of his work. Earlier this year Carpenter invited McKenna to join as a special guest, following fellow British artist Griff, who also took the call for the tour.
“It might have been a surprise to some people, and it was a surprise to me to a degree, because I'm not exactly the bookies' favorite to do this gig,” he laughs. “Sabrina, along with a few other pop artists who are quite prominent, has brought a sense of fun back into pop music”
He adds: “Most of the music I love is not very clear about lyrical meanings and intentions. Sabrina has some of that. It can generate an idea, but also have fun.”
After that, he'll head to Australia for a run of dates with Northern Irish indie heroes Two Door Cinema Club and next summer McKenna will join Imagine Dragons on their tour of Europe, the biggest venues ever has ever performed. The final date will arrive at his favorite football club Tottenham Hotspur's Spurs Stadium in London. “I feel very lucky as this is a dream gig,” says McKenna.
The next step in his journey as an independent artist is to increase the speed of releases. He says he's still “hoarding” the music he wants to share, which belongs squarely with Miniature Ponies' label boss: himself.
“I've always been at the forefront of what I do and who I've worked with creatively, but there's a different level to it now where I don't have someone looking over my shoulder,” he concludes. “It's a liberating thing.”
