THE LAUNCH BOX: Declan McKenna

Declan McKenna is a British singer, songwriter, and musician best known for winning the Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition in 2015. You probably know him best from his song “Brazil.”
And can you believe… he’s only 17?! He was 16 when he wrote “Brazil.”
In 2015, McKenna entered the Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition. The festival named him the winner of the contest in April 2015, for which he was awarded a cash prize and a slot on one of the festival’s main stages. And for a while he was considered “one of the most sought-after new acts” in the United Kingdom after his win, and McKenna swiftly signed a management contract with Q Prime (the same management company that also represents British indie rock band Foals, among others). More than 40 record companies vied to sign him, with McKenna going with Columbia Records.

In August 2015, McKenna self-released his first single, “Brazil”. The song criticized 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. 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.”
“Brazil” received widespread attention, as many sports commentators found the song to be a commentary on the emerging FIFA corruption scandal. McKenna was interviewed on Sky News to discuss his views on football’s relationship to poverty. “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, and repeated as number one on 30 January.

McKenna spent the remaining months of 2015 playing a wide range of British and Irish music festivals and concerts in venues throughout London.
In November, he self-released his second single, “Paracetamol”. The 5 and a half minute song discussed how transgender teenagers are misrepresented in the media. Matt Wilkinson of New Musical Express called “Paracetamol” McKenna’s second break-out hit. Although it wasn’t likely to receive radio airplay or top out the charts, Wilkinson argued that the song showed that McKenna wasn’t just another “UK indie troubadour, but rather a solid and accomplished songwriter who can deliver “bruised and vulnerable” vocals. 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.”

In early December 2015, McKenna released two more singles, “Basic” and “Brew”, on the streaming radio station Spotify. McKenna told the Bristol Post that same month that he hoped to have songs for his first album written by the end of the year, in time for a summer 2016 release.

“Brazil” charted on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart at number 32, rising to number 26 on the 5 March 2016 chart. After playing many festivals, McKenna made his North American debut at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 11th, 2016.
Fun Fact: Declan McKenna writes his own songs and usually performs all his own instruments.
Note: His first name is pronounced “Deck-Lan”… Not “Duh-Clan”… like I’ve been saying for like 3 weeks… oops…